


Ouroboros

by SapphicSpidaman



Series: Corridors & Chronicles [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018), Spider-Man (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Bank Robbery, Blood and Violence, Car Accidents, Cooking, F/F, Heart Attacks, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Mind/Mood Altering Substances, Transformation, Water
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:20:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 36,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26926495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicSpidaman/pseuds/SapphicSpidaman
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra & Scorpia (She-Ra)
Series: Corridors & Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1930345
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	1. Blackout

**Author's Note:**

> Estid is an umbrella term for the hybridized humans that feature animal, insect or plant abilities and features.

A pleasant chime snapped the brunette from her thoughts, followed by a much more urgent alarm. Tan hands picked up the phone and began frantically typing out a message as a simple “not again” left her lips followed by a sigh.

_Catra (9:07pm)_

_Can’t do tonight, smth came up._

_Scorpia (9:09pm)_

_Lmk if you’re still down to chill after!_

_Scorpia (9:09pm)_

_I can pick you up!_

_Scorpia (9:11pm)_

_Go get ‘em, Wildcat._

Ricochet was already on the move, ripping through the streets and mentally mapping her route. In mere moments her target came into view, an apartment building which had caught fire, she knew trucks had been dispatched, _they should be here any minute._

“Old building, sub-par neighborhood, could be wiring, could be an insurance claim,” her analytical gaze scanned the ground level, finding and focusing on a single obsidian estid who paced frantically and watched the building with wide gray eyes. Canid features were illuminated by the orange light, tail curled and ears folded down as the woman approached the house and ultimately backed up as the heat warded her attempted entry; tears rolled down her face and she held her head in her paws.

Brown ears flicked forward at a new sound that they had identified, the quiet cries of a child, _third floor, middle window._ Swinging into action Catra crashed through the glass and into the fiery hallway, heat and smoke hitting her as she entered and forcing a cough as she stumbled.

“Hey kid, are you in here?!” Her eyes seared with the smoke, tearing up beneath the mask as she continued down the hallway towards a shut door that oozed the same gray billows she’d seen coming out of every other opening in the building.

“Yeah! I’m stuck in my room! Help me!” The smallest of voices, but enough to convince Ricochet it was worth continuing, and so step after step lead her further into the building.

Webbing attached itself to the door, allowing the woman to rip it clean off its hinges and reveal a small wolf child as they cowered on their bed trying to stay away from the flames that licked the walls. A gloved paw reached out to the canine, but was quickly pulled back as a beam from the ceiling crashed through the burning paint and drywall, separating them on either side.

“Hey! We’re going to be okay, what’s your name?” Catra could no longer see the kid, but was desperate to keep communicating with them to keep the situation as calm as possible and ensure she could make a successful rescue attempt.

“Um.. it’s Arthur.” Nervously the ebony estid answered, trying hard to keep a brave front but clearly scared out of their mind as their vision flipped to all sides of the room.

“Okay Arthur, I’m gonna get us out of this but I need you to listen to me! When I tell you to run I want you to head into the hallway,” the woman took a deep breath, preparing herself for the task at hand, _I can handle the heft, but the heat is killing me._

Catra grunted as she lifted the burning beam up and over her head, thighs and back tensing as the flesh and fur on her hands singed and she grit her teeth at the pain.

“Alright Art! Get moving and I’ll be right behind ya!” Fibers in the suit began to melt, but she could not fall back from her position, not yet.

Without hesitation the young wolf listened, racing past Ricochet and into the hallway where they turned around in time to see the woman drop the beam onto the floor.

“Head for the window!” They took two steps before she swept by their smaller sprint, plucking them effortlessly and cradling them close to her chest as she dove back out of the space. Behind the two estids the ceiling collapsed, threatening to bring the building down as the structure shifted and whined with the change in stress and weight.

One arm held the child close while the other cast out a web allowing them to curve their path enough that she could land them comfortably. Once Ricochet was certain they were both safe, her grip loosened, and she met the gray and brown eyes of a grateful pup staring back at her like they owed her the ground their feet walked upon.

“Oh my god Arthur! My sweet child, you’re safe! Thank you, thank you! Please, you don’t understand they’re all I have, I could never repay you,” the woman wept, hugging the smaller estid tight as she repeated her pleas and hoped that her appreciation was clear.

“Don’t worry, I’m happy to help,” the smile was clear in her voice, another successful endeavor for the suited savior, and as the fire roared behind them sirens answered the call. Three trucks rolled onto the scene, immediately deploying hoses as the marshall approached the estids that sat; he was a portly man, with a well kempt mustache and very little hair on his head.

An ambulance that followed behind them screeched to a halt nearby, parking and continuing to flash their lights as they temporarily cut the siren that blared.

“Hey! What took you guys so long? Did they not pull you from Washington?” Catra already knew the answer, it didn’t take nearly fifteen minutes to drive half a mile; this was not the first time she’d run into the man either, though there was little point to trying to remember more than his face.

“No ma’am, the trucks there are undergoing some service, we deeply apologize. Thank you for the assist though! Are there.. Others?” He didn’t hesitate to approach the buildings, noting the pattern of the burn and calculating the time in his head between the initial call and their arrival.

“Not that I could hear, the whole building seems to be coming down though, so please be careful. Also origins appear to be electrical, so you’ll want to let them know as they move further inward. Maybe it’s best if we can get someone to cut the power,” Ricochet turned back to the blaze, reflection dancing in her suit’s milky eyes as she glanced over at the mother and child who were now being tended to by the EMTs.

“All units be advised we have a situation in progress on Tobin bridge, multiple cars involved,” the radio’s crackle cut through the scene, fuzzed and blaring as the marshall and his unexpected cavalry looked at it and then each other.

“Looks like you have this one handled, I am going to see if I can help them out up there,” even with burned up hands and a suit that smelled like smoldering plastic and fur she was determined to improve the scene in any way she could, immediately throwing out another rope and launching north towards the recently discovered disaster.

* * *

Tan feet landed gently on the dull green beams of the Tobin bridge, little time spent surveying before powerful legs tensed and sprung into action.

Carnage riddled the roadway, with vehicles tipped on their sides and frantic cries of people trapped in their seats. The EMTs were already on site, attempting to free as many people as they could as Ricochet immediately began tearing doors off of cars and diving deeper to find survivors.

Her muscles strained as she lifted a car that had fully flipped over, allowing a frantic red haired man to pull himself out and sprint for safety. With how dark it was the liquid that pooled around her paws was felt before it could be seen, appearing black even with her heightened gaze.

“What the..,” Catra glanced down at the viscous substance before her vision shifted to the tanker that it was rapidly pouring from, “at least it’s not molasses, gods the smell.”

Two more people were cut free from the sedan they were stuck in and fled as the tanker truck’s door swung open. The driver was an older woman, eyes glowing with the familiar white flames as her focus shifted to the approaching estid and sent a tinge of fear that shifted across her muscles like electricity.

A cigarette was pinched between the bright lips of the approaching woman, skin radiating as if it was actively being altered to the vibrant inverse of a photo. Carefully one hand was lifted to the tobacco and paper as the other shielded the attempt at a light from cold evening winds.

1993 adorned the fire diamond on the back of the rig, with a “1” in the blue portion, and a “2” in the red portion. The woman’s boots splashed as she stepped closer to Ricochet, grinning as she removed the lit cigarette from her mouth.

“No! You’re too close to the source!” But it was already too late, even with all the estid’s accuracy snatching a two inch object from a hundred feet away was simply impossible. The burning leaf caught the oil and flames raced back to the tanker which exploded, sending the woman and the feline back with the blast.

_Well I guess molasses would’ve been less flammable,_ desperately Catra looked for the woman, deducing that the burst must’ve thrown her from the bridge. Cyan and saffron eyes frantically scanned the surface of the water, spotting panicked movement and diving in without hesitation.

Medics rushed to the estid’s aid as she dragged herself and the unresponsive driver out of the water, ensuring they properly secured her before moving back up onto the street. The voice of her bane reached her ears long before the appearance came into view, digging beneath her suit and skin as the feline sighed silently and walked over.

“We’re on the scene at the Tobin bridge where almost an hour ago several cars were involved in a pileup that resulted in at least eleven deaths and dozens of injuries. Ah! Ricochet! I’m so glad you finally showed up!” Vera was nearly overjoyed, closing the distance between them and smirking as she raised an eyebrow at the ashen patches and waterlogged fabric. Catra couldn’t deny she looked like shit.

“Posts online say you were spotted helping an apartment fire that BFD had already been sent out to cover! Your hands are looking a little worse for wear too!” The reporter’s tan fingers reached for the estid’s covered forearms, only withdrawing once the feline shifted away from the attempt, “Any comments about why you prioritized a situation emergency responders were already dispatched to over a developing and larger tragedy?”

“That wolf child would have perished if I didn’t aid in their rescue, the building was coming down by the time the engines arrived,” behind the veil a sneer crossed the freckled face of the heroine, words pushed between gritted teeth as she knew the game Vera was trying to play.

“Another estid? Would you say you value their lives over the lives of humans? Do animalistic civilians take priority in the eyes of our dear savior?” Emerald orbs locked onto the heterochromatic set, separated by fabric and a few feet of distance that Catra was attempting to hold firm on as the reporter continued to shove the microphone in her direction.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, we’re finished here,” the stomps ceased after the third, summoned to a halt by a simple statement that nearly set loose an unfiltered rage.

“The people deserve to know if they’re less likely to be saved if they don’t have paws or claws!” It sunk deep into the feline’s psyche, muscles tensing and hands balling into fists as she turned and faced the accusatory journalist.

“Easy Vera, you don’t know me, or my methods,” nearly growling now, Catra’s tail shifted back and forth, ears folded back as she more than anything was ready to wipe the smirk off that smug face, _not here, not now, but soon._

“Oh but I do! Your methods are what got us here--,” she stopped when the suited cat moved away once more, abruptly skipping about fifteen feet before turning back.

“If you’re going to pretend there’s an us, at least take me out for dinner! Pro tip, I love curry!” Their banter could go on for hours if she allowed it, but ending it early was all part of keeping Vera on her toes as the bold red bands of her left arm came into frame on the camera. A playful salute with two clawed fingers was the last of the appearance Ricochet would give before jumping and firing the web shooter at the nearest building. Into the night she vanished as Vera cursed under her breath.

* * *

“Do we have enough clothes for the weekend? We can’t be making multiple trips,” the man backed up and scanned over the packed luggage, counting on his bronze fingers as he ran through every mental checklist all at once.

“You did pack a whole duffle bag, you’re doing outfit changes by the hour, right?” Leaning in the archway was an older gent with short cut slightly graying hair and a trimmed mustache, he watched with a curious expression and took a small sip of his coffee.

“Dad please.. This is serious!” His voice cracked at the peak, and he shook his head before running through things once more, all the while the pink haired woman that sat nearby said nothing and appeared to be deep in thought.

“What? I didn’t say anything..,” across the living room a taller man was reading the paper and quickly glanced out from behind it, dreadlocks laying over themselves as he tilted his head, “Oh! But I do have something for you to take with you, it always helps me when I’m travelling.”

The newspaper was slapped down on the desk and items were shuffled while the man frantically tore apart the surface for the tiny book and as he plucked it from the mess its black cover shined in the soft light of the lamp. With a smile that pulled at the sides of his faint beard and crinkled his eyes the small volume was handed over, watched curiously by the recipient.

“Is this.. A pocket dictionary?” Confusion was present in the younger guy’s voice, focus shifting from the book that now sat in one hand fairly easily to the person who had gifted it to him; the man’s expression was saturated with unbridled joy as his lips curved to more of a smirk.

“Yeah! It’s the most valuable thing I own on the account of how many vowels are in it,” the groan that followed was worth the build-up, but as his shoulders slumped and brown hands pivoted to place the book back on the desk they were stopped mid reach, “you should still take it with you, never know when you’ll get someone with a different vocabulary!”

* * *

“Adora! Test log 117-A, stress test to provoke She-Ra Protocol activation, current time is 0614!” Deep rose colored eyes shined as the woman excitedly rolled around on her computer chair, actively talking into a digital recorder and beginning to hit a series of keys in order as within the resilient training chamber a tired Adora stood, already suited up save for her helmet.

“Did we have to start so early? I don’t think I’m even fully awake,” the blonde groaned and leaned forward as she dropped her arms to her sides in exhaustion. Muscles ached as they moved, allowing her to stretch and look around as strands of uncertainty began to weave at the edges of her mind.

“That’s perfect! We can run you through the most difficult wave of training and that should be enough of a shock to summon the transformation!” No longer looking at the chamber Anita frantically typed command after command and allowed them to execute immediately. With the programming activated several bots were summoned, and the flame throwers began to whir to life above the plate clad hero.

Adora dodged backwards, adrenaline beginning to flow through her as she mapped the space and its threats internally. Up and over, pulled left to dodge a stray saw blade and webs to restrain the aggressing machines that charged towards her. Two minutes had gone by, and within that time the woman had fully woken up, breathing deep and actively searching for anything else Traptarius would throw her way.

Beneath the shining boots the floor gave way and frantically her hands reached for the ledge, missing barely and sliding down the slick sides towards the bottom of a newly opened pit. What greeted her below was a series of lasers that were twisting and turning menacing and lethal as the floor that sunk into them completely vaporized before Adora’s eyes.

Still falling the dread kicked in and she cast out a single rope of web to the edge she had dropped from, whipping herself back to the ledge and growling as the impact forced a loud crack to sound off from her shape. Hands grew in size as they searched for a good grip to pull her form up and out, shoulders shifting and back expanding as she howled in pain and shock.

Alien enzymes answered the cry, soothing her nerves and easing the pain as she came to stand adjacent to the drop point, significantly taller than before with widened shoulders to handle her enlarged arms. Boots clanked loudly as she stumbled, vision shifting in and out of focus as the bots freed themselves from their restraints.

_Threats identified,_ an unspoken warning as the monstrous form launched forward tearing them apart without a second thought. Her tusks shined, and without the helmet on the extension of her hair was more visible, golden mane flowing as she charged.

Strands drifted in front of the creature’s face, wild and loose as she shook her heavy head to dismiss them. When such was unsuccessful a low growl crawled from the powerful chords in her throat and both hands began to smooth the locks into a more contained style. Frustration saturated her voice as another groan shifted into an extended exhale.

“I’m gonna need a bigger band,” a defeated sigh fled her lungs as the tight grip on the chaotic thatch began to loosen. The small ticking sound of metal on metal rang out in quiet repetition, and instantly the hair was pulled up into a rigid metallic band that appeared to be the same durable alloy of her armor.

Adora let go entirely, allowing the wrap to tighten on its own and secure the excess hair that had grown with her metamorphosis.

“I can’t imagine why I need so much hair! I’m not sure how long I can hold this, it didn’t last very long.. Last time,” the woman shuddered to think about how her previous and only other transformation went unexpectedly south, _what if I couldn’t_ _stop?.._ _What if I can’t get this under control?_

“No problem! We just need some tissue samples so I can identify any differences between normal you and.. Well.. She-ra I guess,” Anita seemed confused for a moment, pensive at the idea that the creature facing her now was not just an oversized Adora.

“Oh like blood and hair? Let me just,” her taller form was much more awkward when it came to navigating the now too small space. With high focus on the path she’d be taking to avoid any more surprise-floor-drops, the flamethrowers that once hung above her appeared out of nowhere, cracking against her cheek as she roared and instinctively brought a hand to her face.

Adora’s stride moved diagonal, attempting to dodge what she knew was a long line of eye level obstacles in the form of heavy machines and torches. Even after the course correction, wide blue eyes failed to spot another steel extension that swiveled as she ran her skull clean into it.

Another howl echoed from the walls of the room as the creature eyed the still spinning appendage with a menacing expression. Slowly she backed away from the assailing arm, vision trained on it as if it could truly operate of its own accord.

One final collision with the back of Adora’s head mercilessly threw her into a frenzy. With dilated pupils and surging muscles the conscious thoughts began to fade into the backdrop of her mental space, _oh no, no,_ _please.._ _no._

* * *

Catra’s clawed digits tapped away furiously at her phone, ears out and honing in on the sound of approaching footsteps. No sooner than she’d slipped her device back into her jumper’s pocket did Ontas step into the room, chuckling as soon as he glanced in her direction.

“You don’t need to worry about texting at work, as long as it doesn’t interfere with turnaround time. There’s been some sort of issue with replacement parts for that Civic that came through so I’m gonna pop down to the scrap yard and see if they’ve got something comparable,” he had already grabbed his jacket, and immediately gestured to the door he initially came in through, “I’ll need you to work the counter until I get back, but it shouldn’t take more than an hour.”

Not long after her boss left the feline was back to typing furiously once more, throwing out paragraph after paragraph into a chat window and only stopping when the door chime sounded off and a familiar brunette stepped in.

“Ah Vera! Excellent timing, let me just get your paperwork and we’ll be all set,” with genuine joy on her face the estid nearly forgot they were rivaling in and out of suit, the few run-ins with each other since the airport incident ending in Ricochet giving her the slip.

“Are you.. The only one here?” Her expression was curious, but something sinister crept beneath the woman’s umber skin like a monster simply trying to hold the disguise together long enough to get close and ambush.

“If I was, would our interaction change at all? Didn’t think so. She’s right as rain, we installed a new front bumper and smoothed out the paneling, it didn’t appear to go deep enough to damage the frame at all but if anything happens we have a guarantee for that too for the next twenty-four months,” the estid motioned to the papers that detailed the work done and its cost pre-compensation. The soft fur of her fingers bristled against the documents and for a moment she appeared lost in thought, eyes shifting to a distant stare.

“She’s a real beauty ya know, I took real good care of _her_ , I don’t want to see her back in the shop again due to your mistreatment, find better places to take her, and keep her out of trouble,” as Catra continued both hands rested idle on the counter, and reaching one up to scratch her ear brought with it the awareness that Vera was staring silently, and intensely, at her palms.

“Is something wrong? Oh! I must’ve gone too far and confused you. Your Lexus, I took good care of your Lexus,” realizing the woman had been watching her paws lead the estid to believe the brunette was chasing that trail once more, _time to throw her off._

“Adora and I didn’t even share a bed, so you have nothing to worry about,” the smirk began to tug at the corners of her mouth, Catra could only feign concern for so long as she snuck a hand across the counter and lightly ran a claw over the back of Vera’s hand, “unless.. It’s not Adora you’re worried about.”

The subtle hitch in the brunette’s breathing caused the feline’s ears to perk up the slightest bit, unnoticed by the flustered girl who now struggled to get a word out.

“Anyway, call me if you ever need my services, if it’s something simple and quick I could even come to you with the proper tools,” the smirk and wink was flashed across in tandem with a small business card that Catra handed over. Out of the corner of her eyes she spotted a familiar towering figure and the sly expression quickly morphed to a customer service smile she’d worn around the clock for years.

Confusion flooded Vera’s expression until the door chime rang once more and Ontas’s intimidating shape filled its frame. Embarrassed, the journalist grabbed her things and bolted from the shop, tearing out of the parking lot in a hurry as the feline began to double over from laughter.

Ontas knew better than to ask questions he didn’t want the answers to.

* * *

Tiny speakers on the cellphone blared for the twentieth time in a row, screaming into the otherwise silent and empty space of Catra’s room. Her parents and sister had left hours ago, leaving no one to follow up with more aggressive tactics of waking the feline from her heavy slumber. Out of the mound of blankets came a single striped arm and as she brought the phone and its auditory assault closer the estid winced.

“It’s fine, it’s only 10:30,” desperately shutting the alarm off the woman let out a long sigh, snuggling back into her nest as the reality of the situation began to creep up on her.

“SHIT! IT’S 10:30!” the train she needed to hitch a ride on left at ten, and as she frantically gathered her previously packed back there was a repeated hope that the weather had caused a delay in its departure.

* * *

The digital screen hung from the ceiling suspended by solid metal brackets, reading out the unfortunate truth of the situation at hand. Catra’s ride had left the station already, and due to the weather they would only be running one cycle at a time, meaning she’d have to wait for the circuit to be halfway done three hours later before she could board as originally intended.

Too stubborn to simply give up, the estid began to weigh her options and calculate the distance of the train, unfortunately.. Catra wasn’t great at math. She deduced that the train must be roughly sixty miles away, though it was in all reality closer to a full hundred, and that based on her speed she could probably catch it if she really pushed herself, _it would almost take as long to get down there as waiting for the next one though._

Still lost in thought the estid barely recognized her movements until she had snuck out onto the tracks, cloaked with her clothes and a backup suit Kamar had recently gifted her tucked away in her backpack. Clawed digits gripped the metal of the route, and for a moment Catra closed her eyes to focus on the small vibrations she could feel shifting down from dozens of miles away as the train rushed comfortably on its course.

They were subtle shifts, but the woman caught them still and nearly exclaimed out of excitement, _it’s still close enough for me to feel it! Which means there’s still a chance I can follow the path and catch up!_

She knew the tracks within the city limits, and swinging through to the southern outskirts planted her in front of a problem to be solved; there were no more tall buildings, but the tracks were recessed enough that telephone and power lines sitting adjacent on the main roads towered over the dugout paths.

Precision was a necessity, one wrong cast onto metal instead of wood wouldn’t be the end of her, but she may surge too hard and blow the power grid for the area if their connection wasn’t immediately broken. From her position she could spot the wooden cross beams that held the primarily wiring, and choose them for their wider surface area.

Attaching to it didn’t immediately feed the current to her, and as tan hands pulled forward the feline was pleased to find the structure could support her weight. Swing after swing pulled slow and unsteady at first but as Ricochet found her balance and proper timing the speed gradually increased.

She was practically ripping through the air, moving faster than she’d ever managed before, with no obstacles to stop her flow and targets for her anchors that immediately became easy to spot. The cackle turned to hysterics, she’d never felt so absolutely powerful as she would in this moment of pure childlike wonder; this was what she dreamed flying would be like when she was still drawing in crayon and clouds were blue because she couldn’t make white appear on her printer paper.

All at once the tears in her eyes stung causing her to wildly miss her shot, and in a matter of seconds Catra was flipping over herself fully visible as the impact into the dirt spun her body relentlessly to distribute the momentum she had built up. Fangs gritted and muscles strained as the estid pushed herself onto her knees, realizing there was a weight missing from her back and frantically looking around to find her pack about twenty feet back, shoulder straps torn to shreds.

With a sigh Ricochet dusted off her back, and then the suit as curious eyes now scanned for damage or potential problems. The fabric had begun to burn through on her arms and at the diamond on her chest, closer examination revealed that the tips to her exposed fur had also started to crisp and burn with a foul smell rising from the patches. Web was drawn from her vials and spun into a thicker weave that the feline used to resecure her backpack together, _that should at least hold until I can get somewhere safe and sew it up._

“Hmm, gonna have to try and take it easy the rest of the way. Though I don’t think Adora would mind if I just show up naked,” laughing at her own joke made Catra consider how much of her father’s personality she’d absorbed over the years, shaking the uncomfortable questions that followed about what could transpire if she decided to go through with such a plan. _Focus on getting to NYC without dying first,_ _tonta_ _._

A city greeted the estid as she became thankful for the opportunity to gain height and distance from prying eyes below, recloaking and climbing all the while mindful of the steel and iron path that cut through the urban jungle. Identifying the last point she could connect to before a drop in altitude would be inevitable allowed Catra to test her max acceleration capacity once more, gaining unbelievable speeds and nearly jumping out of her skin and fur at the sudden burst of glass from a building she had barely escaped.

Looking back only left the woman more confused and terrified as she realized the explosion stemmed from windows she had raced by, and their immediate upper and lower relatives. No time to think about such however, as in that moment her high velocity began to turn on her once more, and she was actively careening towards the unforgiving ground beneath.

Shakily she lowered and attached to a smaller two story home to slow herself down, rolling forward once both her feet touched solid ground. The backpack stayed on, and smaller burns in her shoulders had appeared with this second small burst she’d pushed herself into. _Okay, I need to be careful of_ _location.._ _I’m invisible, but_ _the.._ _Aftermath of my movement is not._

Worse still the tracks were level with the streets that ran adjacent, and the power lines here were not nearly high enough for her to swing on. With a defeated sigh the estid began to jog down the packed path, onto the tracks to cross a bridge and grew more comfortable when she reached a point where there was foliage and cover on both sides.

_Okay, let’s give it another go,_ she pulled in a deep breath, gradually forcing her knees forward faster and faster as she felt the lightning dance across every tendon and muscle in her leg. The tightness in her suit had returned again, thighs and calves responding to the increased strain and making each step more and more powerful.

The pressure was noticeable this time, and as Catra pushed through the air she could feel pieces of her suit giving into the intense heat that was generated from her rushing form. With only some idea as to the speeds she was reaching the estid began to panic, closely watching for changes or turns within the path as another slip up could result in an even more devastating crash.

In the blink of an eye the feline was stepping onto an area of the route that sat next to a parking lot for a shopping center, and in the next she was gone, the only proof she had even passed by sounding off with several car alarms that were activated by the sudden change in pressure.

Clawed paws slid to a stop as she nearly rolled over herself trying to hit the brakes; behind the mask Catra could feel portions of her dull brown hair beginning to stick through tears in the fabric, and she knew it wouldn’t be worth keeping it on for the next bout if it shredded completely. _How much longer do I have to go? What if I missed it entirely? I have no fucking idea where I_ _am.._

Emotion surged but Ricochet shook her head, reaching for the thigh pocket where her phone sat. The thought had finally occurred to her that her phone probably fried with the heat, but as she removed it from its home the unit powered on and lit the screen up to display the current time of “11:22am”.

_That can’t be right, I left the station at eleven. It’s been way longer than twenty minutes, hasn’t it?_ Half-focused the woman tried to identify where her perception had failed her, all the while opening maps and the train schedule to see what its next stop was for the sake of hitching a ride as she originally intended to. The muscles in Catra’s legs began to scream as if she hadn’t worked out in months and went too hard on the first day back, leaving her struggling to keep steady.

_It’s stopping in Westerly, and looks to be slightly behind schedule so I’ll catch it there,_ as if to confirm to herself what the plan was, Ricochet placed her phone back in her thigh pocket and took a few steps forward before falling to her knees. Barely able to get her mask off in time she puked excessively onto the dirt, the light breakfast and water she’d had earlier not sitting well in a body that was ravaged by g-forces. As she held the mask in her hands the holes grew further in size, _there won’t be anything left to sew back together if I don’t simply tuck it away for now._

_A little further, c’mon legs you can do this,_ Catra swallowed hard, zipping her backpack up and placing it on her shoulders once more with an extra coat of webbing to be safe. She stretched, though it did little to ease the discomfort beginning to take her over, she had been through a lot and somehow this was still high on the scale.

In the distance the train’s horn bellowed, and acting as the starting gun for a race it set the feline off on her path, launching forward like a bolt of lightning. Slight ache became much more intense pain as the moving vehicle came into view, a small blip in the distance that was getting bigger with every exhausted push of the woman’s frantic paws.

Within seconds she was running alongside the train, careful to keep a distance and not repeat her mistake from the city. The final stretch had flattened out to bushes and more sparse trees that allowed for the sprint to go on uninterrupted, though the change in course forced her to run over uneven rocks and through loose brush. Blinking forced her to recognize the image of the train was gone, and in her confusion she slowed herself to a stop as the sound of the train’s call caught her ears from behind her.

As it began to rush by her the people within came into view, glued to the windows and appearing to search the sky for something they could not see. Claws gleamed as the gloved wrist flicked and cast out web on the dining car, dragging her towards it just as it was about to pass; one last check that she still had her backpack, and the estid sighed longer than she’d ever sighed in her entire life.

Adhesive netting was shot onto her bag and secured it to the car, allowing Catra to keep both feet secured on the metal roof as she sat and ultimately laid back against the moving surface, _time to update everyone._

* * *

_This has_ _gotta_ _be the lab, the address is registered to the only Dr._ _Traptarius_ _in the city,_ _I.._ _wish I knew what to expect._ A discrete rooftop entrance was perfect, and as the blue and yellow eyes scanned the industrial door that towered over her Catra began to wonder if she’d be seeing Adora in her current state. It was only seven-thirty, and there was a potential they’d cross paths though the feline had not fully memorized her companion’s schedule.

Three hard knocks rapped against the door, and the high pitched mechanical whine that emitted from within ceased for a moment before starting back up once more. Another series of knocks from Ricochet’s balled up fist, and this time the sound persisted without pause, _fuck.._ _She isn’t going to open the door._

Looking for an alternative solution led Catra to sneak into the ventilation system for the lab, struggling not to sneeze as she cloaked and crawled through the ducts. From her vantage point the feline could easily spot the source of the high pitched whine, a very small saw being used by a woman dressed in an outfit not unlike the regular mechanic’s coveralls worn day in and day out at Ontas’s shop.

Seeing an opportunity Ricochet dipped out of the vent, doing her best to clip the cover back in place quietly as the woman continued her work, completely oblivious. Before long both feet were on solid ground again, _hell yeah, another successful B &E. _

Particles of dust had other plans for her infiltration, adhering to the inside of her nostrils and forcing her to sneeze in the smallest squeak that could barely be heard over the power tools. Anita picked it up still, stopping immediately and turning with a metal face mask still on, it featured large dome shaped blue eyes against a darker violet base.

She scanned the room, shrugging when she could not identify the sound or its origin, and was about to turn back to her work when Emily’s cheerful beeps rang out in the silence. Seconds later she rolled into the room, came to a stop and immediately started buzzing more frantically as she rolled right into the back of Catra’s legs and forced her to fall onto her knees.

Decloaking left the image of a disheveled mess of an estid, with her hair ruffled in every direction, and segments of her exposed arms lightly burned up as she knelt before the person who’s lab she had just broken into with an expression that could best be described as, “please don’t be mad.” A moment of awkward silence dragged on between them, no emotion conveyed in that cold metal helmet that bore down unmercifully into Catra’s soul.

“Oh Catra! I’m so glad you’re here!” Thick black gloves reached for the plate that hung over her face and as she raised it the feline took in the excited look of a woman who couldn’t be more pleasantly surprised by the intruder.

“Your suit.. Is everything okay?” the enthusiastic smile shifted to concerned eyebrows that furrowed as she watched closely, motioning for Emily to fetch some water from the lab’s closet sized cafeteria.

“Yeah.. I have a backup, I gotta try and sew this one back together if I can. I’ve got some kevlar thread in my bag, I think.. I may have pushed myself too far on my way down here..” Catra barely got through the last word as the last of the adrenaline wore off and she fell the last couple inches onto the floor with a soft thud.

“Oh dear, uh.. There there, let’s get you somewhere comfy and I can take your vitals. Hmmm.. these burn patterns hint at rapid aerodynamic heating.. Interesting!” Emily rolled over to assist Anita as she moved the unconscious cat to a soft bean bag chair Adora had picked up for the space but never used. A small plastic clamp on the estid’s finger gave a real time read of her heart rate, and blood oxygen levels as the mechanical arm that held the previously requested glass of water extended.

“You need to drink some water, even superheroes need to hydrate,” her hands were gentle and precise despite being wrapped in thick protective material, and as Anita tilted Catra’s head back signs of life began to return to the feline. The cup reached the estid’s bottom lip, and a small sip of water was drawn from it as deep rose-colored eyes watched the throat muscles contract subtly with a weak swallow.

“If you need to rest you should, we have much to discuss, and I need you at a hundred percent,” was the last thing that registered in Catra’s mind as she fell into a silent darkness and her body went limp save for the expansion and contraction of her chest as she breathed slower and slower.


	2. Anchors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No broken promises, just broken noses..  
> Names to faces, or rather the veils that hide them..  
> There was only one bed.. but I'd sooner sleep on the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Estid is an umbrella term for the hybridized humans that feature animal, insect or plant abilities and features.

“Good morning, Anita! I stopped off and got us some coffees.. On the way.. Here,” blue eyes fell onto the main room of the laboratory, and were immediately drawn to the half suited estid that sat curled up on a series of pillows arranged in a makeshift bed.

“Oh you don’t have to worry, I gave her some ear plugs so I could continue working! Unfortunately her lactic acid levels were well above normal when she got in, but she doesn’t seem to be suffering from acidosis. I’ve been monitoring her vitals since she got in,” Traptarius smiled and brought up a small 2D avatar of a woman, gesturing to the on-screen numbers indicating a steady pulse and normalized blood oxygen levels.

The blonde had only been half-listening as she stepped closer to her companion, noting the various burn streaks in the suit and the torn up backpack that sat nearby, _what the hell did she do?_

As the questions continued without answers Adora found herself reaching out and only managed to catch herself after two of her fingers brushed gently into Catra’s hair. _She’s really_ _here.._

“Prrrrpt?” A quiet rumble was followed by the brunette raising her head curiously, eyes half open and slowly shutting again as she struggled to wake herself up, “oh.. Hey, Adora. What’s up?”

* * *

“Uh.. have you.. Seen this?” Loose pink hair fell over the woman’s frantic expression, hands wildly gesturing to a video she’d watched at least five times already and sighing as she found herself unable to gain any new information from the playback.

“Yeah there’s literally dozens of videos of it, what on earth happened?” The brown eyes of the man who glanced over from his chair reflected a familiar affection paired with a bewildered confusion at the contents of the media. On screen the visual of trees and brush that were passed by a train appeared, and suddenly the sound of a jet tearing through overhead drew the camera’s focus skyward. In the vast blue depths that hung above there was no sign of any sort of aircraft, no visual that could match the aggressive roar.

“I.. think it may have been one of the other supers, what if there are more than just the Saint and Ricochet?” Her eyebrows furrowed, glancing down at her notebook where she had written in the individual abilities of the supers she’d witnessed, with the Saint possessing great strength and stature, and Ricochet able to turn invisible.

“Well, I know Ricochet has social media, let me cross-reference,” Mahogany hands scrolled over the phone, flipping through the superhero’s stories and exclaiming when he came across a post of her taking a selfie while hitching a ride on the very same train all the videos were stemming from.

“There, she seems to be on her way to NYC, which means we won’t find them in Boston. That would also explain why we haven’t seen the Saint before these most recent incidents or since the airport,” remarks fell on deaf ears as one realization hit the woman harder than anything else her companion could’ve said to her, _she.._ _Caught that_ _train.._ _The sound was from_ _her.._ _Which_ _means.._ _She’s unbelievably fast._

“Well I guess it’s good I didn’t book our hotel yet,” thoughts were brushed to the side as she flipped through options for their sleeping arrangements with the change in location. There weren’t a lot of low-end options but as she searched a few sites she’d visited before, they offered coupons to try and entice her to book.

“Speaking of, we should get going, it’s already Noon there,” the statement broke her out of the trance she had been stuck in and as she nodded they began to gather their things.

Arms tensed as she drew larger shapes than normal that cut through the air and created glowing purple lines connecting in front of her. The circle shimmered brighter and brighter and gave way to a scene of an alley that led out into an empty side street. Beads of sweat collected on the pale forehead as she maintained the shape and watched her companion drag their luggage through the portal.

* * *

Grunts rang out, one after the other as charcoal forearms cut off pale fists and the estid moved fluidly around her opponent. Climbing onto the back of the taller woman quickly became identified as a mistake as effortlessly the feline was plucked off and hurled across the room, digging her claws into any flesh she could find with her exit.

“C’mon Catra, I know you’re not giving a hundred percent. You’d have dropped me by now if you were actually trying,” Adora raised an eyebrow as she reset her stance, arms up defensively as she stepped in time with her opponent, keeping equidistant until the time was right for either to strike.

“Is that what you want, princess? Me to beat you like I always do?” A half-hearted punch, blocked easily by crossed arms as Adora pushed against the attack with the assailing arm still pinched.

“Your heart rates are where I need them! Try to maintain these levels if possible!” Traptarius was hard at work, watching for spikes that would be flags for either of their mutated DNA activating with powers and abilities neither of them had full control over, though Catra had a pretty good head start.

“You heard her. Try to keep up,” muscles flexed and arcs of energy slipped over the flesh and fur of the smaller woman’s arms, travelling into the hands that trapped one of them and forcing a surging wave through the electrical systems of Adora’s suit.

The explosion was instant, blasting Catra back as she slid to a stop and smirked, waiting for the smoke to clear so she could see how well she’d followed up on the blonde’s request. Before the cloud could dissipate a familiar hulking shape raced through it, charging with tusks and shoulders forward as the feline shrieked and dodged.

Claws scraped against the floor as the feline came to a quick halt, snapped out of her fearful retreat by the sound of bone clapping against the sturdy wall. A roar emerged from the enlarged woman, and shook the very foundation of the room as loose wires dangled from the ceiling at the reverberation.

Adora’s nose was broken, spilling profusely as she spit blood onto the floor and faced down the much smaller estid with pupils so dilated there was no sign of the baby blues left against the shadowed spheres. All the fear came rushing back and for a moment they were back on the rooftop in Boston, Catra staring down the barrel of a high caliber loaded gun in the form of the bloody brute that rushed her.

This time would be different, ducking when she needed to and hitting the suit with several smaller shocks to attempt to disable the systems that kept the woman capable of moving with the heavy armor on. Alarms sounded as the thick golden plates that adorned the woman’s legs locked up and the momentum sent the feral blonde tumbling over herself.

She fell to her knees and growled over and over again as fibers tensed and Adora attempted to roll back onto her feet, armor becoming too heavy to bear as several more strikes connected with her arms and disabled their AMP systems. A defiant roar rolled from her throat as she stared up at the estid who sat out of reach, believing herself safe and beyond of the monster’s melee range.

Several beeps sounded off from the wristband and the suit started to fold back into itself, leaving exposed calves and rippling biceps fully on display as the heft of the metal dissolved into the near weightless device on her wrist. Adora was wearing a previously loose fitting sleeveless jersey and basketball shorts that cut off at the knee, however with her increased size the wall of beef that now stood up with a smirk on her face was wearing the tattered shreds of a tank that was barely holding on and shorts that had basically become boxer briefs.

_Oh fuck._

Attempts to get away were dashed by thick digits that gripped her ankle like a toothpick, and suddenly Catra became aware how strong this version of Adora was as she was ripped through the air as if she weighed nothing, struggling to keep her stomach calm as she looked for an out. Whiplash got the better of her and she nearly hurled as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body collided with the same wall that stopped the blonde’s momentum earlier.

_Nothing’s broken, she’s in_ _control.._ _She has to_ _be.._

_She’s in control and still threw me into a wall.._

* * *

“How are we going to find them? New York is huge!” An exhausted sigh escaped the woman’s lips as she dropped her phone on the bed and fell back onto it shortly afterwards. They had just settled into their hotel and dropped off their bags, the clock on the nightstand reading out “1:36pm” in bright red letters.

“We figure out where the demons are striking next, I guarantee they’ll be there.” Lips curled at the edges of the man’s mouth and he leaned over, patting the woman’s shoulder and reaching to dig through the bags for his costume.

_“They call themselves the Inner Demons, looks like their ring leader specializes in manipulation and mind control. He goes by Mr. Negative, presumably on the account of his appearance resembling the dark blue and white shades of an inverted photo. As far as I’ve seen they’ve had a growing presence for a long time, it only seems fair that they’d eventually bleed across state lines.” The men excitedly spoke, alternating sentences as they both gestured to a few printed articles and blurry photos that were clearly blown up from low-quality sources._

_“Any idea where the operation began? Or where we may find this strangely colored sir?” Her voice was curious, pink eyes locking onto the pictures that riddled their board._

_“It looks as though he mainly operates out of New York, but his reach is extensive, if you both plan on chasing him I need you to promise us you’ll be careful.” Dreadlocks shifted as the man stepped forward, adjusting his glasses while dark brown eyebrows furrowed._

* * *

“We’re here!” The woman laughed and turned back to her companion who walked a few feet behind her, taking the time to glance at the scenery and how much had changed in the time she’d been gone. The restaurant was small, with its entrance positioned down a series of steps that lead into a lower floor it had been built into.

“Ugh, you know I hate Twister’s, their crust is so dense!” Catra rolled her eyes and glanced over at the unfamiliar banner that hung above a soft brown door, _did_ _they.._ _remodel?_

“They closed down forever ago! Something about food poisoning from undercooked meats,” Adora shrugged and laughed before the memory of getting pizza after school hit her like a truck. Twister's was always closer for Kamar and Lorena, but Nico's was the best place in town and only a few blocks away. _I guess it would be hard to forget something we did every Friday._

“How do you undercook.. Meat.. on a pizza.. No matter, what is.. Cicero’s?” Pupils dilated as she took in the vibrant shades of simplified text on a dark purple background, behind the C there was a lotus design that accented the color in the character.

“It’s a curry house! Like last week I asked you where you’d want to go the next time we met up and your only response was curry!” A nervous smile spread across the blonde’s face as she tried to explain her line of thinking and tried even harder to read Catra’s perplexed expression.

“It was two weeks ago, and to be fair I was elbow deep in curry, it’s all I could think about,” the ears were up, and the estid had one clawed hand on her chin while she recounted the conversation.

“Does that mean you’ve.. Changed your mind? We can go somewhere else!” From uncertainty to full blown panic it began to occur to Adora that she took a few solid steps down a potentially bad path. _If she's had curry recently why would she want curry again?_

“No, this is excellent, let’s see what they’ve got,” it was as if Catra could sense when her companion was lost in thought, dragged beneath the weight of her many choices and how every small thing would help paint a bigger picture for better or for worse.

The heroes in hiding entered and were immediately seated by a woman who looked them both up and down repeatedly before rushing to get water as soon as Catra went to open her mouth. Orders were put through for appetizers and as the two looked over the menus for their main meals Adora glanced over repeatedly.

"I'm gonna do the butter chicken," an excited grin was tugging at the estid’s cheeks, watching the waitress closely as she shifted and nearly skipped over the followup, "with level three spice."

_Really, buddy? What the hell is your damage?_

Adora gave her order, disregarding the foul mood the employee was in and turned to Catra immediately with furrowed eyebrows.

"You know the scale is only one to five right?! It's not like a.. mild to medium with only the last two being melt your mouth spicy.." Dull blue irises were bursting with concern, not wanting the estid’s first real night back home to be a disaster.

"Oh shit really?" The feline's eyes widened, mouth flattening as she seemed to realize what a mistake she had made. Just as Adora was about to flag down the employee Catra broke the facade and started cracking up.

"HAH! Man you should've seen your face. I appreciate the concern for me, querida, but I have eaten enough spicy food over the years that I can't eat stuff without some sort of kick," something in her gaze became tense and with a devious smirk she continued, "I know what I like.~"

Adora was certain it was suddenly much warmer, and the way Catra's eyes fell upon her while she drank water to desperately cool herself did not help in any way.

_Your heart rate is spiking, are we in danger?_

_No! And who's we?!_

Something must've tipped the feline off as she spent the rest of the night easing up and keeping the topics casual as they caught up. Adora did most of the talking as she watched the smaller woman eat more than she'd ever imagined possible and in record time.

As they finished their meal and paid, Catra glanced over at the woman who served them throughout the night, scribbling away all the while.

_I hope your night gets better, and I'm sorry for whatever’s going on right now. It will get easier._

It was accompanied by an above average tip, Kamar had always instilled upon her that the best way to fight negativity was with positivity. Hard to be mad when someone gives you a gift!

The late fall air greeted them unrelenting, forcing a shiver through Adora's form as Catra caught it and began poking fun.

"Oh no! The heater in Mara's house broke and the only way we'll survive is if we cuddle with each other! What a disaster! Catra come here before you become a paw-psicle! I'll keep you warm even though I have no fur!" The feline barely made it through her sad recreation before bursting into a fit of hysterics as the blonde grumbled and muttered about how "that's not what happened".

“Are you ever going to let that go?” Adora laughed awkwardly and leaned into the feline that walked alongside her, forcing the estid to take a couple steps to the right to avoid the contact. It was early in the evening, the sun beginning to set as curiosity stemmed in the feline’s thoughts for what could be ahead of them as the night progressed.

“In your dreams, princess,” Heterochromatic eyes shined with a mischievous glow as she shrugged and skipped ahead, sliding to a stop and turning back to the blonde with a worried expression.

“Something’s not right,” was all that the estid managed to get out before being body checked by a man who appeared out of nowhere, throwing her shape into the brick wall with a quiet crunch. She slid down the rough exterior and glanced up in time to see two other shadowed beings appear and sneak up behind the blonde.

She cried out but was not fast enough as Adora was thrown onto the ground in front of her and the sound of the impact sunk into her ears with sharp fangs. An attempt to get up was met with resistance as Catra felt the overly tight grip on her forearms, pinning her in place as a fist struck the side of her head.

The roar that emitted from the blonde was followed by the sound of bones cracking as the transformation began, subsequent howls getting louder and then peaking as the shape grew and changed before Catra’s eyes.

White and gold material manifested and laid itself over the enlarged woman, helmet shifting up and over her hair as it extended and was contained within the mask. Reinforced jaw and thick tusks were the last thing hidden beneath the visor as she stood, taller and more intimidating than ever with a single hand reaching forward with uncertainty.

Immediately the arm was thrown into the man’s throat and the pale digits tightened around his flesh and dragged him onto the unforgiving ground. Others jumped onto her but were unsuccessful in restraining the monstrous woman as she slammed them into poles and walls and drop boxes.

Once Catra could stand she camouflaged and disappeared, stripping the sweater and pants as she traded them for her mask from her bag. The estid reappeared in time to crack a solid punch against the man who had hit her initially and growled with her fangs bared beneath the veil.

With two of them knocked out and not getting back up the suited twins stared at each other, blue eyes beginning to come back beneath the fabric as the sight of Catra brought her peace and at the same time summoned something deep in her psyche.

“Saint.. Watch out!” The estid flicked her wrist and caught the arm of a brute that had raised an improvised weapon over his head in the form of a crowbar with tethered webbing. With the sudden change in momentum a quick pull forced him to his knees and Ricochet brought her heel down on his neck, only beginning to register what they had done, _what if these are more civilians, what if we’re doing exactly what we’d do if we_ _were.._

“There’s more of them, and they’re not staying down with the damage. Let’s wrap ‘em up, and it’s She-Ra. I know you know that,” Adora’s voice, more clear than anything she’d experienced with this form before, confirmation that even with the She-Ra Protocol activated this was still the same woman who snort laughed on occasion and who had shared snacks with Catra all those years ago to begin this rollercoaster of a friendship they’d cultivated.

Clicks sounded off as the adhesive threads fired from the hefty wrists of She-Ra, wrapping the assailants tightly and forcing them to fall over as they lost their balance and could not stay standing. Ricochet joined her by aiming for one particularly close to the wall and sticking him to it with a series of shots, making short work of the group that had initially overpowered them.

Something shifted on the corner of their minds still, forcing the two heroes to keep their guard and check every angle, both locked onto what they believed was the silhouette of a person who knelt on the ledge of a nearby rooftop entirely shrouded in darkness.

As if to answer the simple question of “friendly, or enemy?” an arrow fired from the figure, missing Catra’s shoulder by just a handful of centimeters as she growled and squatted down to launch herself up to the culprit. A groan from behind her broke her focus and as the feline turned the image of another husk appeared, wrapped up in a similar webbing to her own as the arrow that was shot rolled around on the ground with its point popped off as if it had deployed the adhesive.

By the time Ricochet turned back the shadow on the roof was gone, replaced by a shape that approached donned in black and white with pink accents on the arms and hood. The man’s suit matched features of Catra’s, complete with the milky opaque eyes and signature webbing though his was only across the magenta accents.

Where the spider sat on the maroon for the feline, instead a vibrant red heart was outlined by the meeting points of the obsidian and ivory, shaped to be more jagged and stylized.

There was a cut out much like the diamond on the estid’s suit, but it was circular and over his stomach, _why would_ _you.._ Her ears twitched as she tilted her head and watched him come to a stop a few feet from her, his black and gold boots tapping quietly as he moved and halted.

Adora nervously stared as the tension between the two doppelgangers spiked, hoping someone would break the silence and it wouldn’t have to be her as systems registered the vital signs of a human in the newly discovered super. The screen flashed, warning of an increased heart rate on Catra, and of a fourth life signature somewhere in the vicinity.

“Someone should tell you pink’s not a very menacing color,” and just like that the battle had begun, tension breaking as the statement caught the man off guard and forced him to consider that he hadn’t heard Catra correctly. But as she laughed at her own jab it became clear he hadn’t missed anything, _what’s_ _that.._ _Sound.._

“Well normally heroes aren’t meant to be menacing,” appearing out of thin air was a woman adorned in purple and light blue, with a helmet that obscured her face entirely in a cloud of mysterious smoke that lit up as she spoke. Catra jumped and felt her heart rate peak again as she steadied and returned to the calm demeanor she’d previously donned.

“Lemme guess, Pure Heart and you must be Sparkles,” there was that venom again, it was hard to tell when the tone would shift from sarcastic jabs to actual strikes but this was clear especially following the panic she had experienced at the hands of the caster.

“Sparkles? I should show you how wrong you are..” gloved hands raised into the air to cast, but concentration was quickly broken by Adora who finally stepped between them and grabbed the woman by the collar. With the veils separating their expressions there was a curious mystery in what they exchanged in the few seconds they were less than an inch from each other’s faces but the woman was let go regardless.

“Who are you both, actually? No games, no jabs, just necessary information,” she was never a good mediator, and often talking things out wasn’t her preferred method, but violence wouldn’t solve anything in this situation.

“Obscura, and Iron Heart. Is there somewhere we can go to have a discussion? I think we have a few things to address with one another,” gloved hands crossed over the man’s chest to identify the woman who was hidden beneath the mysterious helmet and flowing cape.

“Yeah, I’m Sai-- She-Ra, and this is Ricochet,” Adora leaned back and looked over at Catra who was still staring daggers at the woman who had appeared out of nowhere to scare her initially.

“Fuck.. I owe George and Lance fifty bucks,” the helmet lit up with the dimmest of blinks as Obscura spoke, words barely picked up by the feline that stood closest to her.

* * *

The group landed on the rooftop with gentle thuds, Catra followed by Adora and their two new companions who climbed onto the roof and teleported into place near the industrial sized door.

"We're here, now, what're your names? Traptarius won't address you as Iron Heart and Obscura.. she prefers first names," no longer hulking the blonde glanced over beneath her visor, eyebrow raised as she watched Obscura’s wrists flick and draw new shapes in the air.

"DR. TRAPTARIUS? ANITA TRAPTARIUS?! HER RESEARCH ON BALLISTIC GEL HELPED ME MAKE THESE!" The man pointed towards the slimmed quiver that attached to each of his thighs, arrows dug in and stagnant even as he moved and jumped around. Just as quickly as he demonstrated however, a thought hit him like a truck and he paused to gawk at the woman in white, pointing a shaky finger in excitement.

"WAIT.. THAT WOULD MEAN.. You're Adora, aren't you!" Behind the mask blue eyes widened at the mention of her name, where had he heard of her? Sure it was on research papers she’d done, and developmental notes but none of it was widely renown, he had been looking for specifics, more rare concepts, _but why?_

“If she was who you’re looking for, arrow boy, how rude would it be for her number one fan to not introduce himself?” Ricochet stepped between them, crossing her arms as her tail flicked back and forth with her vision between the two new-comers.

“Oh! Uh.. of course, my name’s Bow, and this is..,” he turned to find Obscura completing a pattern and temporarily muting his speech even as his mouth and tongue moved through the syllables.

“No, they’ve not earned that right, we’ll see how things go, tonight,” she barely finished her sentence before tan hands and sharp claws grabbed her by the collared cape, lifting her up and off the ground effortlessly even though they were the same height.

“You can talk, or you can stay outside. I’ve heard the pigeons make great company, riddler,” sneers appeared on both women’s expressions, hidden beneath their individual veils of mystery. After another moment of tension the helmet lit up with a single word as the gloved hand completed its shape.

“Glimmer,” an explosion tore them from one another, throwing the estid back against the wall adjacent to Anita’s lab with a soft thunk, “and if you touch me again, you’ll lose your hands.”

* * *

Anita slid around the room excitedly operating panels and eagerly pulling up a string of data on the wall-mounted screen as Adora and Bow watched in wonder. This meant nothing to Glimmer and Catra who stood near their respective companions and occasionally glanced over at one another while Dr. Traptarius began explaining her findings.

“The Saint and her sidekick, wouldn’t have expected that with how graceful she was in the video but I suppose it’s on me for judging before seeing them first hand,” the pink haired woman laughed and glanced over at the man she spoke to, or rather in the direction of as he barely seemed to register she was talking.

Catra’s ears picked up the language as Spanish, and as she glanced over it became apparent that both Bow and the woman that watched him closely, waiting for a response, were fluent in. Once she tilted her head in confusion at the remark Glimmer seemed to consider that the woman’s expression must have been due to a lack of being able to understand the language, prompting her to continue.

“I bet the estid follows her like a lost puppy, sticking close for protection probably,” purple eyes squinted as the heterochromatic pair widened in response, ears folding down and tail flicking back and forth as the feline prepared herself for the inevitable fight.

“I’d watch your tongue if I were you, I’ll have to cut it out if you don’t,” her venom caught the attention of Bow, who finally turned and faced the scene with confusion and concern on his face, but as he was about to speak he was stopped by an abrupt gloved hand that sat at chest level.

“Oh, you can speak another language? How impressive,” the woman’s voice had become entirely void of emotion, save for a slight hint of condescending sarcasm. Catra’s hands tightened into fists and she clenched her teeth for a moment before smoothing out her hair and relaxing once more.

"My mother gave me my looks and my linguistics, it's a shame yours wasn't so lucky to get both,” words that slipped over tongue and fang like daggers, and judging by the suddenly shocked expression on the woman’s face the assault had cut fairly deep.

“Glimmer.. It’s not worth it,” the man’s arms reached out to divide the shrinking space between the two women as their gazes stayed glued to one another and the tension was wrenched into dangerous territory.

"No no, she should know how much luckier she is. For having a mother, and for being so supposedly pretty. It's a damn shame the budget was blown on that and there was nothing left to spare for compassion," another step forward from the violet and pastel blue boots, met by tan feet dragging across the floor in mirrored motion.

"If you were looking for compassion you wouldn't have called me a dog, and for the record I'm a very generous person. If we take this outside I'll be happy to demonstrate," Catra’s fangs clacked against themselves as she spoke, eye level with her opponent as the estid’s expression shifted to one of dominance and command.

Perro was one of the only words Adora had heard Catra speak before, previously being used as an insult in one of their fights and based on the tone of the conversation it appeared as though a scrap was brewing amongst the two shorter women.

"GUYS PLEASE, we shouldn't fight," the blonde stepped between them, both arms out to gently urge them away from each other, and even though Catra hissed she complied, shifting over to sit on a bench at the far side of the room as she reached for her sunglasses and mask.

Glimmer backed into her space among Bow, sighing and trying not to look in the feline’s direction as Anita glanced around for approval to continue her spiel. Behind reflective aviators Catra watched the woman who matched her blow for blow, knowing there was something there but unable to pinpoint the exact range of emotions that sparked between them.

“As I was saying the new compound we’ve found..,” the cheerful voice of Traptarius faded to the background for the estid who hid behind the shades comfortably as she watched the short haired girl attempt to find a way to approach her without seeming obvious, fists still balled up.

_Oh honey, you’re not subtle,_ Glimmer went out of her way to step back towards the far end of the room, skirting around the side before sitting on the opposing end of the bench Catra rested on. Out of the corner of her heterochromatic eyes she watched the woman slide closer and closer to her, pausing for a few seconds with each move and attempting to seem like she was still on the original section she sat down on.

“You want to get some froyo? Might help you cool down a bit,” the estid turned which nearly forced the woman out of her skin and raised an eyebrow at the reaction, tilting her head at the girl as she struggled to respond.

“I..,” the attempt at a sentence died before it could get much farther as Catra flashed her fangs and vanished from sight, tongue running over her upper jaw the last thing to fade into nothing as Glimmer’s eyes widened and she glanced around the room.

Seconds later the sound of the large industrial door swinging open and then closed once more reached the still stunned woman’s ears, pink eyes squinting as she knew the challenge she’d just been issued, _síguela_ _._

* * *

Several hours went by and after the first it became apparent that both shorter women were missing, with Adora fearing the worst as Bow tried Glimmer’s cell frantically. The blonde’s phone was dead which meant calling Catra was impossible unless she could remember her number, which she couldn’t.

As brown digits reached for the green call button for the twenty-second time in a row the sound of the industrial door opening caught their attention and in walked the two escapees, frozen yogurt in each hand as the small scuffs in their suits became apparent, a hint at what could’ve transpired.

“Where.. Have you been?!” Adora sounded like a panicked mother with a child who had stayed out way too late without explanation, eyebrows furrowed as she glanced between them.

“Getting froyo, calm down, this one’s for you, querida,” tan hands passed over a cup that contained a similarly colored swirl of frosted deliciousness, complete with small sprinkles of mini chocolate candies on top. It was pristine, as if they transported it with utmost care during their journey back to the lab.

“Why are your sleeves messed up?! Did you run into the demons again?!” She was excited to see Catra back in one piece, equally excited for the treat, _did_ _she.._ _Get me salted caramel?!_ And frantically put the cup down on a nearby table so she could get closer to the feline and ensure she was truly okay.

“What? No, as it turns out, Glimmer is really bad at climbing buildings and that’s also why it took us so long to get to Meltdown. We would’ve been back sooner, but someone failed to mention that they’re afraid of heights,” the estid shot a wink to the woman who sat behind her attempting to quietly offer the extra cup to Bow as her face flushed lightly and she stared at the floor.

“So what did you nerds discover about one another while we were gone?” Catra walked with casual steps towards the bench she was previously sitting on, vision shifting between the group that stood around a monitor as Anita’s eyes lit up.

“Well as it turns out Bow’s studying engineering! And it appears the quivers he made for himself are the first of their kind! I would never have guessed the gel to be self-preserving and healing in that way, I’ll have to make note of it!” One of his holsters was detached from his thigh and laid out on the table while Traptarius studied it curiously.

“That’s super cool, but does it help us defeat the idiot that keeps turning people into mindless shadows? If they’re here as well as Boston that means whatever is causing it is spreading, and if.. It infects me again.. I don’t want to think about it. We can’t let that happen to any of us,” for only a moment the calm and cool demeanor Ricochet wore regularly was dropped, and behind that was a woman who felt a particular fear for the first time in a long time, the fear that she’d hurt someone she loves.. _Again._

Stern monotone vocals caught Adora off guard, she’d never heard the feline like this, it translated to mean Catra was serious, when in all reality she was simply unprepared for this magnitude of a situation. As the blonde stepped a little closer to the bench she watched the estid pull her legs in and tuck her tail around them, bunching herself into a ball and staring at the ground as pale shoulders slumped and the woman’s path was reconsidered.

“You’re talking about the Inner Demons, they’re being run by a man that goes by Mr. Negative. A crime boss that installed himself into Manhattan’s underbelly a long, long time ago. Seems he’s been flying under the radar for awhile, but something has gotten him stirred up lately and it might be in our best interest to figure out what that is,” Bow’s voice cut through the awkward silence, leading the renewed discussion as pale hands and purple extensions pulled up various articles and records of the crime-waves that had been set off since their introduction.

“We already know he’s subjugating people through chemical warfare, we just.. Don’t know how he got a hold of such a brew, and where he’d be storing it. There are so many empty warehouses, broken down half-built construction sites.. He could literally be anywhere and trying to track him down would be impossible,” Adora sighed heavy in her chest as she remembered her frozen yogurt, taking a few spoonfuls of the now mostly melted mixture.

“Well, lucky for you I can get us anywhere in the city in the blink of an eye!” The excitement in Glimmer’s voice caught the group by surprise, bringing the attention of all three pairs of eyes as the woman attempted to cast and only managed to create a small spark of orange flame between her hands that quickly fizzled out.

She was exhausted, and draining herself of the last of her energy caused her to drop, promptly caught by Bow who smiled warmly at her as they locked eyes.

“Let’s get you back to the hotel, we can start our search tomorrow,” His arms tensed under the white and pink fabric as he scooped the sorcerer up and straightened to a stand, glancing over at his case and the arrows that were strewn about on the desk.

“Bow, I can still walk ya know,” her cheeks flushed and she covered her face as he turned over his shoulder to nod to Adora and Anita before stepping into the hallway and ultimately out through the rooftop entrance with a loud clunk.

Blue irises were staring, and once they were caught by the orbs of cyan and yellow a clash of expressions followed, unbridled affection facing off against a raised eyebrow and narrowed eyes. Catra’s ears folded down, and she tapped her fingers impatiently, waiting for something she already knew would happen, just a matter of when.

“We should.. Get back to my apartment, call it a night since we’re going to be up early tomorrow yeah?” Adora shuffled closer, pausing momentarily as the estid stopped clicking her claws against her knee. Abruptly the charcoal, maroon and tan blur moved across the room, grabbing her things and pulling her mask over her hair that refused to cooperate.

“You’re right, so let’s get moving,” Catra disappeared from sight as she raced out the door, cloaking activating as she moved through the covered hallway. Adora stood with her mouth agape, glancing at Anita who had already gone right back to her research and examination of the substance she was working with; it was as if the woman didn’t register that only one of them was gone.

* * *

By the time Adora had caught up to Ricochet as she blitzed through the city they had ended up on the northern side of Queens, ripping through residential single family homes as the blonde desperately pleaded for the feline to slow down.

“You don’t even know where my apartment is! Where are you.. Going..” She-Ra came to a sliding halt a few feet back from the feline who now stood in the middle of an all too familiar street, with an all too familiar house sitting centered in her view. _Oh no._

“Look.. Ca.. Ricochet, a lot happened in this house, and a lot has happened since then. We don’t have to let this be what defines us,” Adora was quick to provide wise words she’d heard recently from a man who worked alongside Mara in a volunteer position, though the blonde could not remember his name.

“Why does everyone think there’s an us? You and I exist as two separate entities, and I was fine on my own. Coming down here was a mistake,” The estid’s temper began to flare, ears folded back and tail shifting wildly as she flexed her claws and growled low in her throat.

“How could you say that?! Do you.. Not want to be here?” White and gold boots stepped forward with pointed clicks onto the asphalt as the taller woman closed the gap, stopping only when she spotted the surges of electricity traveling up and down the feline’s arms.

“No! Yes! I.. I don’t know,” With every attempt at an explanation or confirmation sparks were arcing from Catra’s fingertips, frustration building as she felt her fur stand on end with the charge being summoned, “let’s get back to your place and then I can plan my trip back home tomorrow.”

_But.. we’re already home._

* * *

It was a small one bedroom apartment, with just enough room for them both to navigate the space without being sandwiched together. Heterochromatic eyes came to fall tired onto the most uncomfortable looking couch they had ever bore witness to, with the material appearing stiff and unyielding, _it’ll have to do._

She began to set her things down next to the couch, seething as she felt the baby blues burning holes in the back of her head even from across the room.

“I’m not doing this again, Adora,” she didn’t need heightened senses to hear the sigh that cut through their otherwise awkward silence. Footsteps put the feline on edge but faded just as quickly as the blonde walked down the hallway and into her room.

“Suit yourself, my bed is the most expensive thing in the apartment!” Catra’s patience was thin, but the walls of the space were somehow thinner, sound bleeding through as if they were in the same space as Adora called out and moved some things around in her room.

“So.. you spent like a hundred bucks on it?” The feline snickered to herself, collapsing onto the sofa and immediately regretting it as the material brushed against her arms and legs in the worst way. She rolled back and forth attempting to get comfortable but instead simply fell off the couch entirely.

“Oh man it feels so GREAT to lay down in this CLOUD,” Adora’s voice was somehow the worst and best thing Catra could ever imagine herself listening to, and the playful banter pulled her back to a time when things weren’t so complicated between them, _I’m in too deep._

“Sweet dreams, fuckwad,” it was empty of the usual venom, but stuck solidly in the paint and drywall that sat between them; no other words were exchanged and the feline couldn’t be more upset to have been given the last word.

* * *

“Dehydration detected, please seek fluid intake,” the sound emitting from her wristband pulled Adora out of a deep slumber, eyes groggy and mouth dry from hanging open as she slept. Vibrant lights seared the blonde’s irises as she blinked several times and turned over on her mattress, sighing and gripping at the empty space in the other side of the bed.

Her brain had no time to catch up, already in the bathroom and retrieving a glass of water as she gulped it down without hesitation, thoughts beginning to drift to the previous day's events and her unexpected house guest. Once the cheerful beeps and green screen indicated Adora had finished the recommended liquid quota her legs shifted to bring her into the living room.

On the floor, sprawled out in every direction with her feet up on the couch and both arms tangled in the legs of the coffee table was Catra, silently and slowly breathing as she twitched her fingers and her ears flicked on occasion. _She’s going to wake up, she’s going to wake up and get angry at me._

But the feline didn’t stir while Adora towered over her, and she didn’t flinch when the blonde picked her up with an arm under her thighs and wrapped around her back. While muscles worked of their own accord to bring both of the women back into the bedroom, tan hands balled into fists and gently cuddled into the blonde’s upper chest.

As Catra was deposited into the bed soft “prrrrpt” noises were followed by the tiniest purr as she curled up and nuzzled into the pillows. On the opposing side of the bed the taller woman climbed in and got comfortable, ensuring she was as far away from the middle of the mattress as possible to keep the distance between them.

_If she’s gone in the morning, I’ll have to accept that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a spicy one-shot already written between Obscura and Ricochet, and once we pass 69 kudos I'll be uploading it so if you see this and you're on the fence.. remember the cake.


	3. Mirrors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The spiders discover what they have in common, and what they don't..  
> Adora finds a new favorite breakfast place..  
> Catra learns that NYC is no longer her city.. if it ever was to begin with..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Estid is an umbrella term for the hybridized humans that feature animal, insect or plant abilities and features.

Loose strands of blonde hair stretched out in a chaotic pattern on the pillow, soft snores breaking the otherwise strange silence of the small apartment. For once in Adora’s life she managed to wake up on her own, no alarm or reminder to jolt her from the solid rest she’d managed to acquire.

Her eyebrows furrowed when her arm reached across the bed to find the sheets and blankets flattened neatly into place, as if they had never been disturbed to begin with, _was_ _it.._ _A dream?_ The warmth of the feline came back to her chest alongside a familiar ache, something she was convinced she could forget, _we weren’t meant to cross paths again._

Blue eyes came to rest on the phone as it lit up with a notification, and the moment Adora’s hands wrapped around it the device gave excessive feedback, an urgent warning of the several missed attempts at correspondence.

_Mara (7:45am)_

_Waking up and getting ready now! I can’t wait to see you!_

_Mara (8:23am)_

_Almost done, running a bit late but Martin says his meeting for today got pushed to the afternoon so we should be okay!_

_Mara (8:54am)_

_We’ll be leaving shortly, if you need the address again let me know! It’s a newer place but it’s got great reviews!_

Quickly a message was typed into the box, but the recipient wasn’t Mara, rather, the name at the top was none other than Catra, with their last messages time stamped for a few days prior.

_Adora (9:02am)_

_I hope you’re okay, I’m sorry things didn’t go.. The way you wanted.._

The send button was tapped just as the living room filled the woman’s field of view, complete with the backpack that leaned against the couch since the estid placed it there the previous night. _Can_ _I.._ _delete the message?_

* * *

Warm smells of roasted coffee beans and melted caramel filled the woman’s nose as she frantically made her way towards the lavender building. Harsh whines rung out as the hoppers ground through pound after pound of beans, barely muted by the open windows and doors of the small breakfast shack.

At least a dozen eggs were cracked within a kitchen that was almost too small for the three chefs that maneuvered inside it, the sound of sizzling oil and fat drowned out by calls for ingredients and order numbers. Adora’s anxiety began to set in as she realized that the main seating area was packed, nearly every table taken in a wide patio space that was set on a riser.

Before she could consider an alternative however, silver eyes caught her attention from across the dining area and Mara’s eager hand waved her over. For the first time in a long time the woman Adora had come to call a guardian, a woman she’d loved and hated throughout her maturity and personal growth, appeared radiant. There was something about the smile that was flashed, so genuine, as if Adora’s presence was for once welcomed completely and absolutely by the seated woman.

Next to her was Martin Lee, a colleague from work and as Mara affectionately referred to him, “Mr. Perfect”, appearing overdressed in a full suit with his blazer draped over the back of the chair. Dark brown eyes met hers and crinkled as he smiled, shaped eyebrows shifting up subtly while she approached and took a seat.

“Adora! You’re looking lovely as always,” Lee’s voice was smooth, comforting in an unexpected way as Adora nearly missed the unnecessary compliment; it caused her to look down at the loose fitting button up and imitation slacks she’d thrown on before rushing out the door. Her hair was pulled back in its normal ponytail with her bangs rolled into the signature ‘bump’, though the whole thing was rather hastily put together and a few stray hairs escaped her ties and clips.

“Thanks, I guess,” is all she managed in response, forcing a glare from Mara that immediately dissipated as the man handed a menu across the table, _why are straight people so weird._

“What kept you? Working late with Anita or something?” Mara’s voice was concerned, but as she raised an eyebrow it became clear that she was more apt to the situation than the blonde would’ve hoped. Between the both of them their menus sat comfortably rested on top of each other, hints at how unfortunately late it had gotten to be.

“I mean yes but.. No, not exactly,” awkwardly the tall woman made her way through the response, averting her eyes as she tried to figure out how exactly to spin the meeting of the two new friends who had abilities equal to her own. Abilities her dear caring aunt had been left entirely in the dark on, abilities that stemmed from tech she understood very little about.

“You were with a girl again weren’t you! Adora I really wish you’d stick with one at this point. I’m having a hard time keeping up and I know you’re still young and getting to know what you’d want out of a relationship but consider how Vera would feel about that,” the words stung far worse than they should’ve, when was the last time her and Vera talked? She’d left the brunette on read multiple times now, and it was clear they weren’t working out between the chaotic work schedules and the shift in priority.

“I didn’t.. I’m not.. Ugh.. Can we talk about anything else please? What’ve you and.. Martin been up to?” As her brain began to get carried away with the thoughts of her ghosting and the disconnect between them was pulled to the forefront of her mind, her mouth worked through the words subconsciously.

“We’ve been pulling shifts down at F.E.A.S.T., it’s the largest shelter organization in the area, and they provide serious assistance to people in need,” his hands moved in wide gestures as he spoke, voice overflowing with genuine passion. Quickly he pulled a pamphlet from his breast pocket and offered it to Adora with a hopeful smile, withdrawing it when he realized the blonde was still handling the menu, _oh right, we should probably order food._

“Oh? That’s so cool! I’ll have to join you guys one of these days!” An idle response, but a legitimate one as the woman was truly interested in helping out, _how much good could I do if I showed up as She-Ra? I bet I could help them move and build stuff!_

“I hoped you would, but you have to be more timely if you want to help,” harshness was temporarily overtaken by the exhaustion in Mara’s voice, it had been a long time that the two had gone back and forth about Adora’s inability to manage time.

“We appreciate all of our volunteers, if you’d like to meet some of them there’s going to be a social this weekend for both the F.E.A.S.T. team and my associates at Prime Enterprises. You should come, and you can bring your lady friend too, seems like you’ve been a little overworked lately so maybe a night off would be good?” Martin’s smile grew, eyebrows shifting as his unnaturally white teeth became the focal point of the blonde’s vision, the offer seemed equal parts legitimate and hollow but was accepted nonetheless.

* * *

Atop a multistory office space three figures sat together, the sun’s rays battling the chill of the wind that brushed over the stretched fabric of their suits. Ricochet’s charcoal and red mask was lifted up and over her mouth, fangs bared as she tore into the bagel and lox sandwich she’d picked up for breakfast. For only a moment there was silence and the estid began to grow uncomfortable, gaze jumping between the other two spiders.

Iron Heart’s mask was rolled up in a similar fashion to his doppelganger’s, hands gripping a bagel with cream cheese tight as he inhaled it like it was the first thing he’d eaten in weeks. Obscura’s helmet was secured, though its glass front had been disconnected entirely, and appeared to vanish within its metal shell. Purple eyes shined with excitement as she carefully unwrapped a breakfast burrito that was nearly the size of her forearm.

“Let me get this right, you’ve never been out this far and you just.. Came out on a whim? That not only would you be able to find us, but that we wouldn’t immediately kill you for doing so?” Catra broke the silence, half-way through her meal as she glanced over first at the hilariously large burrito and then at the man who was struggling to chew through the large portion of his bagel he’d barely managed to get into his mouth before she spoke.

“We both have been handling things in Cali for awhile, Obscura was the first to catch on to videos that went viral of your little airport incident.” With a hard swallow and a quick drink of water Iron Heart recomposed himself and responded, voice growing slightly quiet with the mention of the recording.

“I’ve looked through every article written about you, good and bad. We came out here because.. I.. needed to know you..,” as the feline turned her attention back to the sorcerer her eyes widened, coming to rest on the now much smaller remnants of the wrap. Catra’s ears nearly missed the phrasing, but as her subconscious caught the statement her fangs began to peak out over her bottom lip once more with the smirk that crept onto her face.

“Not like that! Ugh. To know that there are other supers in the world.. It is comforting, and scary,” there was something dark worming its way through the woman’s head, dragging a pensive look over her previously content appearance. For a moment she appeared to lose herself to the train, zoning out as she idly brought the remainder of the burrito to her mouth once more.

“Well don’t get used to it, Adora is the only other one I’m aware of and unfortunately she’s the most inexperienced person who could’ve ever been bitten,” Ricochet leaned back on her hands, legs crossed at her ankles as her tail flicked back and forth, _I suppose it is ironic, we both tried so hard to push away from each other._

“Wait.. you were bitten?” The foil was dropped through a hole that appeared in the space in front of Obscura, finger running the length of the shape to keep the tear opened until the trash successfully disappeared. Once it was closed two gloved fingers returned to the side of her helmet, tapping a small segment of the metal twice to summon back the glass that slid over her cheeks and filled up with smoke.

“You say that like you weren’t?” Catra watched the rip seal up without any proof it existed to begin with, eyes narrowing as she realized the sorcerer had to concentrate to keep the spell active. _Wait.._ _where the fuck did that burrito go?!_

“No.. I.. don’t remember how I came to have the abilities or the tech I have. I.. don’t have much memory prior to stumbling into Sacramento, Bow and I met after the news broke that someone with completely legitimate birth records and identification lacked school affiliations, immunization history, hell they couldn’t find anything on my parents aside from their names!” Lights flashed from within the fog, bursting as the caster shrugged and sighed. It was the first time she’d really retold the story, and it was only now beginning to register how insane the whole thing sounded.

“So.. you just.. Started existing? Like you just materialized at like fourteen?” Ricochet countered immediately, standing and looking around for her backpack to throw out the trash and remembering that she left without it when she took off that morning. _Why did I wake up in her bed, and why don’t I remember laying down in it?_

“Sixteen, but yeah, I was taken in by George and Lance, Bow’s dads, who took interest in my case and filed the necessary paperwork to adopt me, we’ve been a family ever since.” There was a solemn tone to Glimmer’s voice as she continued, and Catra could almost picture the furrowed pink eyebrows hiding beneath the veil. Hands moved of their own accord all the while, creating another strange hole that materialized adjacent to the confused feline and beckoned her to toss the trash into it.

“You could make it sound more pleasant, sparkles, you’re telling me you found the ONE person who could understand how you felt, what you were going through and he became your best friend? No arguments, no trust issues, just.. Natural connection?” The estid stared into the void and the void stared back, unending blackness giving no real understanding as to where the balled up paper would end up on its journey. Once the receptacle had served its purpose the connection was broken and the circle closed, though not before Catra could swear she spotted a single red line that streaked across the space.

“Why do I get the feeling this struck a nerve with you? Don’t get me wrong I love pushing your buttons but this doesn’t feel like the switches I’d like to be flipping. Is Adora not your friend?” Obscura jumped up to her feet with a strong burst of wind, fingers shifting as she finished her spell. All the while Bow watched in silence, rolling his mask back over his face once he finished his food.

“She used to be, but that was a long time ago, and she’s been the center of a lot of my troubles since then.. But now she’s got powers, and maybe that means she can learn, and now I dunno, it’s.. It’s complicated,” as if to mirror the man that sat near them Ricochet replaced her mask as well, tucking it into the collar of her shirt. Something bad was on its way and the estid’s alarms were already ringing, _don’t ask me questions about her, I don’t want to answer_ _them.._ _Things are never easy when it comes to Adora._

“Sounds like it, do you think talking with her about it would help?” The shrouded woman tilted her head, summoning her notepad and a pen from thin air and beginning to write down the new information she’d been given. If the feline noticed, she disregarded the action as clawed feet tapped the roof lightly while she walked with her back to Glimmer.

“No, besides, I’m going back to Boston today. This trip was unnecessary, and I hate being so far from home,” Catra shrugged, checking her wrist shooters before stretching and taking another step towards the roof’s edge.

“We still have to track down Mr. Negative and stop whatever he’s planning.. Are you not on board with that?” There was a subtle anger in Obscura’s voice, hands clenching and preparing to cast in the event that the feline decided to jump. Suddenly the suited estid turned on her heels and stormed back towards the woman in purple, spooking her into snapping her fingers and forcing the notebook and pen back to the void they were pulled from. Once again only an inch from each other’s faces both women fought to be understood as correct in their opinions, but this situation couldn’t be farther from an easy good vs evil setup.

“I didn’t ask to be any bigger than I am, I’m just the friendly neighborhood Ricochet. Boston is where I belong, saving its people from tangible threats. If you want to get yourselves killed with some martyrdom mission be my guest but leave me out of it.,” through the mask droplets of spit began to dampen the material, the feline trying desperately to keep her voice at a reasonable volume as her arms started to charge with energy.

Catra vanished from sight before Glimmer could respond, taking off into the city as Bow got up in a start and tried to follow but realized it was impossible as the sorcerer created a portal that was open and shut by the time he reached it.

_I.. need Adora._

* * *

Adora swung the heavy door open and stumbled into the lab, out of breath and suddenly confused as she met the two people she expected to see, and mentally counted the spaces the other two would be.

“Sorry I’m late, got caught up with Martin and Mara.. where’s.. Catra?” Blue eyes shined with concern, _not again, I really hope they’re both okay, they really don’t like each other it would seem._ Bow’s face dropped immediately, turning to Anita who glanced back at him and raised an eyebrow as if to say, “this isn’t my conversation to start”.

“She backed out, she doesn’t want to chase the demons, says they’re too dangerous and that we could get killed,” the man’s shoulders slumped as he sighed through the statement, unable to look at Adora and instead opting to stare at the floor as he continued, “I couldn’t stop Glimmer from going after her, and I didn’t know where your place was so I came here. How did this get so messed up so fast.”

“I’m sure they’ll resurface, in the meantime we can try and pinpoint a few locations to check for a headquarters for Mr. Negative, if we start now we can narrow down some places and be prepared for when they come back,” the expression on Traptarius’s face could best be described as overexcited, and as much as the woman was an optimist there was something she seemed to be missing about the stakes involved in their current goals.

“If they come back.. Glimmer was surging when she took off, I’ve never seen her produce so much energy so quickly,” his vision finally moved to meet the blonde’s, uncertainty clear in the looks they gave each other as the tension crept onto them and dug its claws into their backs.

* * *

The feline rushed forward over rooftop after rooftop, springing off of the edges and sprinting when she could with invisible muscle blurring as she planted her feet one after the other to bring herself anywhere but where she started. Every new building she landed on became the host of portal after portal as Obscura burned through blinks and materialized adjacent to try and keep pace.

“Ugh, I’m guessing you can see me too, what’s the point of invisibility if cheap gadgets are enough to negate it?” Behind the mask she rolled her eyes and immediately fired blindly behind her, securing the woman’s advancing feet to the concrete as the gap between them grew.

“Slow down, I just want to talk!” Seconds slipped by and she finally managed to break free to continue the pursuit, falling forward into a portal and immediately appearing in front of the charging estid. Contact was made in the form of clear fingers that gripped Obscura’s shoulder as Ricochet sprung up and over her with a single flip before resuming her sprint.

“Sure, sparkles, I’ll just stop and make sure my face is presented for you to scream at and punch a few times,” Catra’s voice was lost to the wind as she called out once more and jumped down to a lower building.

“It’s not like that, please I don’t want to have to use magic on you!” Another blink, and this time gloved fingers brushed the back of the estid’s covered head, pressing into the fabric that covered the brunette’s smoothed hair.

“Limited resources huh? How unfortunate for you,” Fluidly the feline dodged, turning and decloaking long enough to toss a taunt Glimmer’s way in the form of a shrug and a few shakes of her head as she watched the woman’s hands move rapidly through a series of motions.

Still backpedaling to keep their distance was easier said than done, and as Catra fell backwards the concrete she expected to hit never came and instead a sea of black greeted her much like what she’d seen in Obscura’s portals. As immediate as the blackout overwhelmed her, there was an exit point and with a thud she hit the rooftop of another building bound in glowing purple ropes. From another void portal the sick smokey helmet appeared, followed by the rest of the mysterious purple and blue outfit that the sorcerer donned.

“Untie me! Where did you drop me into!” Suddenly it became clear to Ricochet that there wasn’t an easy out on this, no matter how much she struggled the binds wouldn’t budge, and anger was slowly building as she felt the electricity shift through her fibers.

“Sorry, but I can’t do that. You were temporarily between dimensions, but you shouldn’t have been able to register such, it would’ve been only for the briefest of moments. Did you see anything?” Glimmer sounded concerned, and almost remorseful in having to resort to such methods to get the estid to work with her.

“No.. just.. Blackness. NOW CUT ME LOOSE,” her voice was building in volume, energy pushing past its normal capacity as like an overcharged battery she was beginning to leak arcs in every direction.

“If you don’t stop struggling I’m going to have to mute you as well so that you listen. Your path, it’s not one you can simply walk away from. There’s a reason you were bitten, a reason you were forced to move, and a reason Adora has returned to your life with abilities as well,” the tone in Obscura’s voice had graced her ears and brought back memories of how she addressed Adora for the first time when they met once more. It forced her to consider that this was bigger than even they were, and that in the way Catra was more aware than Adora, that Glimmer was further along the same path.

“What do you know about my path, we’ve barely fucking met,” she rocked back and forth, trying to get back on her knees as the rope extended to envelop both thighs and ankles as well, concentration clear as Glimmer grunted quietly while maintaining the connection.

“I know enough to know running away isn’t going to help you,” it hit the Ricochet like a brick, had she really been avoiding something she could actively help? Was this how things were always meant to go for her?

“It’s not cowardice, I have family to protect,” arguing was easy, disagreeing with someone on a particular topic was one of Catra’s favorite pass-times, however when things got personal there were soft spots in the estid’s defenses and her parents and sister represented at least one of them.

“I didn’t say it was,” the lights inside Obscura’s visor taunted the woman that lay before her, as if the single statement would be enough to tip the scales and pave the way for the interaction she wanted to have. _We are going to have to discuss this, whether you like it or not._

“But I.. You.. Release me, or I’m going to do something you’ll regret,” the mask threatened to tear as beneath it Catra’s eyes glowed vibrant red and every fiber in her body began to resonate with the lightning that danced across muscle and bone.

“You’ll remain bound until you agree to stay. I can maintain this all night, though eventually Adora and Bow are gonna come looking for us. Do you think she’d like to see you tied up like this?” _Enough, caster._ In a flash of blinding red light the shape that Ricochet took stretched and elongated, a howl unlike anything Obscura had ever heard ripping through the air as she watched the once trapped feline strike the ground in furious rage.

Thunder clapped immediately and briefly the two beings locked eyes, no fabric left to hide the sneer that materialized with glowing fangs and burning pupils. Immediately the woman attempted to draw lines in the air to conjure something, anything that could help her with this new threat, but as she started the motions were spotted by the elemental estid. Another thunderclap and with it Catra was gone, vanishing completely as Glimmer desperately scanned the area for any sign of the path she would take.

“Oh.. shit,” two dim blinks coincided with the realization of what the woman had provoked, mouth agape as thoughts raced, _what the hell am I going to tell Adora?_

* * *

  
“Well it appears Catra’s blown a transformer! Pretty major stuff unfortunately, luckily it seems to be contained within that area. Have we seen where she may have ended up after the initial explosion?” Anita smiled even through the rough revelation and glanced over her shoulder at the trio that was slowly working through the situation and how it grew to be so dire so fast.

“I.. She was moving too fast, I watched her bank east but I haven’t.. I wasn’t able to.. Keep up,” the helmet was off, and as Glimmer spoke she wiped the start of tears from her eyes, struggling to get through the recounting as the image of Ricochet’s displeasure stuck in her brain, _she_ _looked.._ _betrayed._

“What happened anyways? We’ve discussed all her abilities and turning into lightning isn’t one of them,” the blonde’s eyebrows furrowed as she stepped closer to the pink haired girl, towering over her in the same way she did with Catra. Pale hands were shaking, mind racing as she tried to make sense of what little information she was being given on the situation at hand.

“It’s.. she’s do-” _She’s done this before, I’ve felt_ _it.._ _Right before things went an unexpected_ _direction.._ _What would even be easier to s_ _ay.._

“You also didn’t mention anything about her being able to travel at supersonic speeds, I don’t think Catra knew she could until she tried, in the case of the train it was necessary,” lavender links came to rest on the chair temporarily, one side shifting to the woman’s pensive expression and running back and forth over her tense chin. Gears were turning but there was something Traptarius was missing even as she worked through what would have resulted in the sudden appearance of the new ability.

“Something pushed her to this point,” Adora lamented as the concern on her expression began to drown out any anger she was showing and the worst possible options forced fear into her already crowded brainscape. Glimmer shuffled her feet nervously, trying and failing to get a word in as she repeatedly opened and closed her mouth, throat beginning to tense all the while.

A deafening blast cracked through the thick walls, shaking the room as its four occupants glanced at one another to confirm they weren’t simply imagining things. Alerts sounded off from the computer, attempting in real time to pinpoint the origin of the explosion while Traptarius checked for security cameras in the area.

“What.. was that?” Bow’s voice was low, brown eyes shifting between the fearful expressions plastered on the faces of his companions.

* * *

Glass dropped onto the floor as the windows to the bank shattered and fell apart, doors ripped off by a humanoid man adorned in a blinding white blazer with glowing obsidian skin. With a sword in his right hand the man stepped into the lobby, burning silver eyes glancing around the space until they came to rest on the door of the vault behind the counter.

“Demons, to me. Our window won’t be huge, so we have to move. Set the charges,” his voice was smooth, yet held a strong level of authority as from behind him several other suited figures approached their intended target, faces covered by stylized demonic masks. Through the eye holes in the carved wood veils each member of the group was bleeding strange white fire and smoke as they closed the gap and planted a rather large explosive device.

“You won’t get away with this, the police will be here any minute,” the bank employee stared at him from the other side of the counter, oceanic eyes tense with determination as she hit the button for the authorities and smiled.

“Oh my child, you’re wrong. Power isn’t the only thing out in this sector,” his eyes were soft for only a moment, narrowing when the corners of his lips curled into a cruel smirk. They changed focus when it became clear that the bomb was successfully planted, men sprinting away as the countdown rolled through the seconds on the vibrant red display.

A few warning beeps as the timer reached ten seconds, then five seconds and finally to represent the countdown finalizing as the sudden ignition tore through the heavy door and sent scorched bills in every direction. Once the smoke was clear the recently created hole in the door gave a glimpse of the stored currency inside, some loose and some appearing to be stored in boxes that were stacked on top of one another.

“Take it, everything you can carry, as for you, you look like you could use some fresh air,” his attention fell on the woman who after realizing that there was no way her distress call was received began to panic and considered running even with the demons blocking her path to the exit. With a device on his offhand the man reached out to her, nearly caressing her cheek before a puff of pale-blue smoke filled the air in front of her and caused her to gasp in response, inhaling the substance as the whites of her eyes suddenly darkened.

* * *

  
The doors were blown off the front of the building, metal and glass scattered across the ground as three pairs of boots connected with quiet thumps, one after the other. Behind the veils hid expressions of concern, and creeping dread as the scene sunk deep into the minds of the heroes with their approach. Within the open space more items had been strewn about, and as they glanced in the visage of a woman in a rage came into view, body glowing a sickly inverted navy with frazzled silver hair.

“We’re.. Too late,” Bow was the first to approach, verifying that there was no sign of Mr. Negative or any of the demons they’d previously encountered. The bank was trashed, and two people seemed to be injured but still breathing and moving in either corner as the woman growled and assaulted the air beneath the alarm speaker that had been ringing loudly long before their arrival.

“Yeah, no shit,” a scratchy voice pulled attention in a completely different direction, range of vision shifting to the alley where the familiar burned up estid emerged from the midday shadows. Her suit was shredded in the shoulders and knees, soft brown fur poking through as she took steps towards the group.

“Where have you been? Are you hurt?!” Adora’s gloved hands moved to try and assess wounds Ricochet may have hidden beneath the lycra but were quickly shaken off by the feline who didn’t so much as glance in her direction.

“Doesn’t matter, we need to secure the space and get these people to a hospital,” Catra’s tone was flat, equal parts tired and passive aggressive as she cloaked and began to check the wounds of one of the victims. With little effort the young man was dragged from the space, unseen by the employee who continued to flail wildly in the lobby space.

“This is why I stick to what I know, Sparkles,” the estid leaned over her shoulder to ensure she was heard before laying the man down outside the building and beginning to check his vitals. Catra had learned basics from Avarie, and while she tended to the man’s wounds to the best of her ability the woman found her sister clouding her mind. _If things are this bad_ _here.._ _It’s only a matter of time before it spreads._

No time to consider the safety of her family back home, however, as Adora shouted and was tackled to the ground by a black and white blur that ejected itself from the front entrance of the building. The woman couldn’t have been more than fifty kilos, but as she brought her fists down onto the blonde’s masked skull again and again the sound of alarms ringing from the suit indicated the assault had begun to cause severe distress.

Instantly Obscura’s hands moved and flame stretched between them, arcing as she generated the arcane energy necessary to summon the burning spell she found especially effective on the demons they’d encountered throughout the city.

“Restraints, Obscura! They’re still civilians!” Even having her head knocked in from the barrage of punches She-ra was able to form the words necessary to stop further collateral damage, resembling Ricochet in those moments where self-control was especially important.

It was almost too late, flames refusing to be smothered as gloved hands clasped together in a desperate attempt to put out the small blaze. As soon as the embers were extinguished purple ropes appeared, wrapping around the woman to keep her arms at her sides and her legs bound as she fell to the ground with a loud grunt. Even as she struggled against the energy she was instantly incapacitated, iliciting a thumbs up from the blonde and a glare from the feline she had previously used them on.

Sirens overtook the bank’s alarm, and flashing red and blue lights bounced off the reflective windows of nearby buildings as the cruisers raced towards the scene. Three SUVs tore their way through the streets as all four heroes looked at each other with concern, sharing the same expression of “What do we do now?”

“We should make ourselves scarce, they like me about as much as I like them,” Adora was the first to speak up, unsurprised as she watched Ricochet cloak and vanish before she could finish her statement. In the same moment Obscura had finished casting and fell through a portal in the ground, black swirls closing as soon as she had made it completely in. With a sigh tired blue eyes found the brown irises of Iron Heart, who quickly offered to cast and swing with her so that they could catch up to their companions.

“What happened back there? Why did the demons just rob a bank in the afternoon?” Obscura blinked from angle to angle to keep up with the swinging suits, taking the time to glide when she could to conserve some of her arcane energy. Behind the helm she glanced at Bow, and then ultimately to Catra who was still cloaked despite only being fully invisible to Iron Heart.

“They powered down cell towers and cut phone lines once the transformer was blown. They.. must’ve been ready.. Unless,” white and pink clad arms flexed while the man launched string after string of web to keep his momentum, body angling as he adjusted himself in freefall.

“I hope you’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting,” the space where Ricochet occupied, racing along buildings and launching into explosive pulls that allowed her to keep her altitude was suddenly filled with her voice, positioning once again ruined as she glanced back to realize she’d been spotted by the only person who couldn’t immediately visualize her location.

“B-- Iron Heart, hear me out, there’s no way.. She’s not.. I mean.. Ricochet hasn’t.. There’s no way,” gold plates shifted nervously as Adora struggled to make her way through the declaration and still keep up with everyone as they continued on their journey. _She reacted so poorly to the compound, it’s impossible that she’d willingly ingest that stuff or assist in its distribution._

“Go ahead, tell him what I’ve done. Reassure our cohorts with the scars I left on your cheek, or the bruises on your throat! That’ll definitely get them to trust me! I’ve heard enough. I’m getting my things and I’m going home. Coming out here was a fucking mistake,” Catra’s body reappeared out of its cloaked state, milky eyes radiating heat and casting sparks as she spoke. The moment the last of the letters were spat from her fangs the friendly neighborhood hero twisted and stretched until her shape came to resemble that of a lightning bolt once more, and without another word she vanished, thunderclap following her unexpected departure.

“I.. I need to get back to my apartment before she does. It’s probably best if you two go back and talk with Anita, she’ll likely want to run more tests and acquire genetics sequencing data for you both,” Adora glanced back for only a moment before veering to the right and racing off into the dim light of the early sunset as Bow and Glimmer slid to a stop on a rooftop and simply looked between themselves for answers.

The door to the apartment was locked, _but she could’ve easily climbed in through a window,_ and as pale hands worked their way through the turning of the house key nervousness turned to dread. A worried gaze scanned the space within, finding nothing out of the ordinary by comparison to how they had left the place earlier that day. Sitting right where it had previously been plopped down was Catra’s pack, though there was no sign of the estid it belonged to and as the blonde paced her apartment she pulled her phone out, screen lit up with the indicator that it was attempting to dial “Catra Morales”.

* * *

  
Adora’s cheerful visage appeared on the phone as it was clutched between tan hands, and as the thumb slid to ignore the call for the sixth time she sighed, _who.._ _Can I even turn to? Who would understand?_

“Catra! How’s NYC going? Oh.. Mija, what’s wrong? You sound like you’ve been crying, do you need me to drive down and get you? Are you safe?” Lorena’s voice jumped from excited to concerned in a few seconds flat, tone shifting as she brought the phone closer to her face.

“No no, I’m okay, I promise. Things haven’t.. Gone how I pictured they’d go is all, the syndicate here is much stronger than in Boston, and there.. Are other supers.. They’re convinced I am working with this mob boss and.. I.. I don’t know what to do, I’ve spent my whole life building up that courage, and this is bigger than just some petty thieves and violent drunks,” Catra paced frantically, tan feet connecting to the concrete of the rooftop again and again as she stepped back and forth with the phone pressed to her ear.

“Whoa, slow down, I can’t imagine they actually think you are involved in whatever happened! Having other supers around also doesn’t mean your spot here at home or anywhere else becomes lesser, it just means you guys have an opportunity to work as a team! You’ve been on your own since we got up here, and I know Scorpia’s been an amazing friend to you but it’s not as though she could understand what you went through like they would," she was right, _like always,_ but it didn't stop thoughts from manifesting into speech as the frantic feline attempted to get an objection in.

"Ah ah ah! I'm talking! You say this is too big for you to tackle, and I need to know who you are and what you’ve done with my daughter, 'cause my fearless Catra would never say such things,” the words drew out a heavier emotional response from the masked savior who couldn’t feel smaller if she tried, tears bleeding through the torn fabric that was laid across her face.

“How do I get them to see that I’m not.. Strong like they are? I’m not as powerful as them! Adora can turn into a nearly nine foot tall wall of muscle, Glimmer has some sort of shadow dimension on her side, and even Bow has.. Well.. a bow!” Kamar’s laughter erupted in her head, though her father was nowhere near the line they spoke through, Catra knew he would appreciate the joke no matter how much of a wreck she was. The realization of just how much she was missing home hit her like a truck, and in that moment she wished she never took off to begin with.

“How do I get you to see that you’re stronger than all of them? You’ve done so much for the city, and you didn’t need to be nine feet tall, or use portal magic, or have weapons for that matter! You are so much more powerful than you give yourself credit for, I wish you’d see what I see, kit,” the declarations fell on distracted ears, eyes staring blankly as Catra zoned out until the nickname ran her down like a semi with no brakes.

_“Stop calling me kitten, mom! I’m like twelve, I stopped being a kitten when I was old enough to read, write, and speak at well beyond my level! I can make my own decisions, or do you not trust me to do the right thing?!” Orbs of cyan and gold burned with unexpected aggression, temper flaring as the young girl attempted to look menacing in the face of the woman who had given her life and tolerated far worse from her older sister._

_“Fine, but you’ll always be my kit, I know you’re looking for the freedom to make bigger choices but you don’t know what’s out there. You haven’t seen what Kamar or I have seen,_ _mija_ _,” the words played out in her head again, and in that moment a_ _twelve year old_ _and a_ _twenty-two year old_ _Catra mouthed the same response._

_“Can’t be any worse than I’ve dealt with,” oh to be naïve and unaware once more, to believe the worst thing that could have happened was losing her best friend to a move that would bring her to a city that didn’t understand her, powers or not._


	4. Weightless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new suit, comforting like an old friend.  
> Cut chains are the steel and heft, gone now.  
> Whatever may come, that is a problem for future Adora and Catra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Estid is an umbrella term for the hybridized humans that feature animal, insect or plant abilities and features.

Standing before the thick industrial door clad in an extremely torn up suit Ricochet raised an arm to knock, but lowered it before her knuckles could connect with the metal. She swallowed hard to coat her dried throat and keep her pride in check before bringing her hand to the entrance once more and cracking a fist against it twice. Sounds of scrambling preceded the appearance of Bow, whose dark ocher irises were overflowing with curiosity and shock.

“C..Ricochet! Get in here, we’ve been worried sick!” With furrowed eyebrows the man reached hands towards shredded charcoal arms, which dismissed his attempt just as quickly.

“Pfft, right. Definitely so worried about the estid who’s working for the enemy,” behind the mask she threw him a half-hearted glare, brushing by without hesitation and stepping into the main portion of the laboratory where a pink and purple blur jumped up and bolted over.

“Catra.. You know he didn’t mean to offend you, it was meant to be inquisitive, not accusatory,” Glimmer’s voice was confident, and held equal parts concern and steel over the matter at hand. Once she had minimized the distance her helmet withdrew into the frame and pink eyes stared down the intruding feline, searching for a response in the unyielding white gaze.

“Oh absolutely, you tying me up and dropping me through a black hole was just par for the course,” Catra shrugged and sneered, though the veil stayed on while she made her way around the room to maintain distance and purple and blue boots clicked in mirrored movement.

“I didn’t.. We don’t want to fight you.. I thought.. I thought things would go differently,” after following the estid around the room for a moment of attempted justification and poorly tossed excuses Glimmer rested her hands at her sides in defeat and her legs stopped the attempted chase.

“Yeah well here we are, we have a common enemy, then we can go our separate ways,” gray arms crossed as the brunette’s voice dipped lightly into the abundant venom and yellow and blue irises hardened beneath the fabric. _I can go back to more reasonable situations, where the greatest fear is getting caught coming home late._

“Is that.. What you want?..” But things weren’t easy, and Glimmer’s question struck a nerve, digging deep into Catra’s thoughts as it saturated every thought that manifested. For a moment there was an awkward silence between them, tension growing as Bow moved to try and change the direction.

“Doesn’t matter what I want, you both have made it perfectly clear what you want,” fully submerged for the follow-up, the poisonous anger shifted to corrupting cynicism as it forced the clawed fingers to grip upper arms with enough force to keep her grounded and give clarity to blurred vision as she stared at the floor.

“Now hold on a minute, we didn’t come all the way out here to make more enemies.. We have never met other supers, never knew they even existed,” from across the room Bow found his voice once more, words spilling out of him as he stepped between the two shorter supers to break up their growing animosity.

“She’s right though, we’ve been.. Hostile since we met up. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t think we could be.. Better together though. I’m sorry for binding you,” shoulders slumped and in that moment Obscura had never felt so small, eyebrows pinched together and tears beginning to form.

“And?” It broke the pink-haired woman, who quickly glanced up to see that the estid was looking her way, and slowly walking closer with the curious expression leaking into the single word question. Shoulders were forward, but the movements hinted at defensive posturing instead of potential aggression with the calculated and cautious steps.

“And for launching you through a void,” eyebrows furrowed as Glimmer watched the static fabric of Ricochet’s mask, looking once again for answers or insight into what the feline before her could be thinking or feeling but receiving nothing, _I wish you would talk to me. Even if it’s to tell me you don’t want to be here._

“I’m on your side, we could’ve skipped the unpleasantries but here we are. I hope you have.. Some sort of a plan because I’m.. not sure where to go from here..,” tan hands shifted from their positioning on the woman’s upper arms to her face and in fluid motions withdrew her veil from it, revealing a similar expression to the sorcerer who met her uncertain gaze. It was brief, replaced by the front Obscura imagined sat beneath the fabric most of the time, the slight smile and folded eyebrows that said, “I’ve got this”, even when situations grew dire.

“We’ll reconvene tomorrow, when our mind’s are fresh and we can put our heads together about how to find him, and take him down,” Iron Heart’s voice was a welcome one, breaking the building tension as Ricochet withdrew any sign of her emotional outburst and held her mask in both hands, confidence renewed at the idea of a proper team being assembled. His glove reached the light blue pauldrons of his companion, who was still processing the glimpse at the unarmored estid, and as the contact registered she seemed to snap out of her thoughts.

“Thanks.. I need to figure out a better option for my contribution.. Cloaking appears to be less effective every time, and I can’t seem to utilize my other abilities without shredding my suit,” a heavy sigh, and the thoughts running through the feline’s head shifted to the little options she had when it came to resolving these issues.

“Right! Which is why I designed this!” All three supers jumped, senses failing them as they panicked and glanced in the direction of the excited scientist who paused the enthusiastic gesturing for a couple seconds to squint at the idea that they had forgotten they were in HER lab.

With a high pitched giggle Anita quickly typed out a few commands and flipped a switch on her console, hydraulics hissing in response as a panel within the array of the floor began to rise revealing a compartment within. Standing tall within it was a metal mannequin, outfitted in a suit that looked strangely similar to Ricochet’s, separated by an iridescent crimson sheen that seemed to cover the entire shape.

“You’ve had this the whole time?! Why didn’t you tell me?!” It took no time for the tough appearance to crack, child-like wonder pouring out as the estid nearly tripped over herself while clambering to get a closer look at the display. Every detail had been tailored to the original design, the diamonds in the shoulder and chest, the dulled brick red outline that carved through the mask, and the bands that wrapped the left arm appearing even brighter. _How the hell.._

“You didn’t ask, it’s not like you’re unwelcome or anything,” with a simple shrug Dr. Traptarius glanced over at the gift and the recipient who was clearly caught off guard by the response as she struggled to find words. A smirk crept onto the older woman’s face, fuchsia eyes shining mischievously as she leaned back in her chair.

“Adora only has one door key,” brown ears were folded out as Catra’s head swiveled in Anita’s direction, thoughts manifesting as words before she could stop them and as the smirk pulled harder the estid knew she had fallen into whatever trap had been laid.

“Well that didn’t stop you before, did it,” there it was, the rope around Ricochet’s ankle and quickly lifting her as for the first time Dr Traptarius beat the hero at her own game. Quip combat wasn’t Anita’s strength, but she couldn’t help but be pleased with the opportunity taken, and knew the single point that was earned would be met with a hundred or more against her soon enough.

“Whatever, how’s this gonna help me?” Catra rolled her eyes and turned back to the fabric, hands reaching out to check the build and finding it vastly different on the exterior layer than the inner shell, _this is.. A lot of work for one person, wonder if she got her machines to make it._

“Well the material is a polymer base infused with compounded strands of the hemoglobin samples I have previously taken. It wasn’t easy to trace but I identified the anomaly, found a way to synthesize it, and it appears to be directly linked to your bio-electricity!” The woman nearly teleported from her chair to a mere dozen of centimeters from the feline, voice rising in pitch and volume as she scanned over the product of her breakthroughs and research.

“I.. lost you.. Didn’t I,” a moment of silence passed before Anita realized she had gotten carried away with the discussion, _she won’t.. Understand like Adora does. Different skill sets, got it._

“The suit has been coated to react the same way your body does to the change in g-forces. Anything you’ve been able to physically handle, it will also be able to stand up against. If my calculations are correct it should also create a field in your immediate area, minimizing the damage caused by your speeds in close proximity to stationary or slower things,” while they faced each other physically, it was clear Catra’s mind had gone elsewhere entirely as her focus shifted between the suit and the loose pile of tech that sat nearby.

“Wait, do I have to explain g-forces to you?” The quiet contemplation was mistaken for lack of understanding, and so Anita considered how to break down the benefits and features into easier to digest parts, trying desperately and failing to remember analogies and comparisons she’d been given when still in grade school.

“I can run and not go streaking as a result, got it,” Ricochet spoke as an after-thought, focus centered on the metal figure before her, and how differently the combined clothing would appear when she tried it on. Hands swiftly stole the fabric from its wearer and headed for the bathroom as if on auto-pilot, as if nothing else would register or stop her from this predetermined course she found herself on.

“I’ve been trying to come up with a decent testing option for trying out the suit, but I have been unsuccessful thus far,” lavender limbs ran back and forth over the pensive woman’s chin, words recited idly while she contemplated the minimal choices available to them, “testing within the city limits could have disastrous results if any part of the material fails to withstand the conditions.”

By the time the observation was spoken Catra emerged from the space and into the main portion of the lab once more, facing Dr. Traptarius, Bow and Glimmer in a suit that felt more like an extension of herself than anything she’d previously tried on. With a perfect fit, and spaces for her ears and tail the estid found herself awestruck, and then immediately curious.

“You tailored this.. Did you log my measurements when you took my vitals? That’s a bit unethical,” beneath the mask the estid grinned, words repeating in her mind as she watched the sly smirk reappear on Anita’s mouth.

“You had a backup suit in your bag, you said so yourself,” a huff was drawn from the fully covered Ricochet who strode across the room and made her way to the connecting hallway with the rooftop door in sight, “Now, before you go anywhere we need to figure out how well it holds up.”

“I could.. Get us out and back fairly quickly, we can run a trial in a less populated area?” Glimmer jumped in at the break in conversation, making motions as if to signal she was ready and willing to teleport them out to a more remote area to run within. Bow’s eyes lit up and he agreed with an emphatic nod, hands pulled close to his chest and beginning to resemble Scorpia after successfully convincing the feline to go do something with her.

“No.. I’m going to try it out here and now, save your energy for tomorrow! We’ll see each other in the morning yeah?” Before anyone could stop her, Ricochet was off like a speeding bullet, rushing out the door with enough force that it was thrown hard into the extremes of its hinges and then bounced back and slammed shut.

Another near moment of silence as a chestnut gaze met the relentless optimism in the scientist’s demeanor, and all the while an arcane heart was stunned, mind melting as the aftermath of recent events sank in.

“I hope your calculations are correct,” the man’s voice was low, concern dripping from the words as they were spoken, _what if she hurts herself.. Or someone else.. How many times before it’s no longer an accident?_

“Oh, they always are,” dexterous hands moved without hesitation, legs folding as Anita got comfortable and began to pull up window after window of stats and finally, a map with a very fast moving blip that seemed to jump from block to block in seconds.

* * *

Ringing out was the sound of a jet ripping through the skies, lower than it should have been as it passed; it is loud but over in an instant and leaves the residents of Brooklyn and Ozone Park wondering where it went, and where it was to begin with as nobody can seem to find it against the dark night sky.

By the time the bedroom window to Adora’s apartment slid open Ricochet’s heart was pounding, eyes dilated as she caught her breath, _I.. can’t wait to do that again.. Puta madre._ Legs shaking briefly as they kept her secured against the exterior wall invisible to most while she tried to calm her nerves and it finally hit her that she hadn’t considered what she’d even say to the girl who was presumably somewhere in the apartment.

_I.. just have to hope she is wrapped up in something else,_ limbs moved slow and steady, allowing her to crawl through the open window and plant both feet onto the floor as her ears rapidly searched for any indication that the blonde was nearby or had caught on.

Scanning the room confirmed she was in the clear, but as she decloaked and took a step forward Catra’s foot caught on a book that fell off of the nearby shelf and forced her to trip, catching herself on the bed with a gentle thud. Sounds of a hasty reaction reached brown ears just as the woman in question stumbled into the room in a panic, blue eyes looking brighter than ever with how irritated the surrounding whites were. _Shit._

A long step back allowed the feline to spring onto her feet once more, landing adjacent to the window she’d come in from and considering bailing as her hand inched closer and she began to recloak, legs and shoulder fading from sight.

“No please, Catra!” All the fumbling Adora had initially done was suddenly gone in her expert dive across the room to where she last saw the form of her companion, and with palms placed on the wall blurry vision tried to identify whether the estid had given her the slip, again.

With a barely audible sigh the charcoal and dull magenta suit came into view once more, arms appearing at the same time the blonde felt hands connect with her shoulders to push her shape away and create some much needed distance between the two women. Adora did not fight such, stepping backwards as requested and rubbing the tears from her eyes as she tried to get a better look at Ricochet, _a.. New suit?_

“Did you.. Go back to Anita’s lab?” The blonde struggled watching the figure before her, terrified of the potential that something would go wrong and she’d be left alone with her thoughts again, with no explanation of what she had done wrong or said that set the estid off.

“Did you know she had this for me?” It wasn’t aggressive, and instead held a mixture of eagerness and intrigue as Catra’s ears flicked outward and her tail gradually relaxed, _she would’ve said something, Adora is incapable of keeping secrets._

“No! Where else would you get a new suit? That red tint is really nice,” cautious fingers crept towards the dark slate fabric and onyx web shooters, withdrawing once more when the feline realized what was sought and turned her forearms over and back to show off the angled change in appearance and color.

“Thank you, it’s my blood,” the statement didn’t register at first, lost to the void as the tone of the spoken phrases reached a part in the tall woman’s psyche she hadn’t accessed in nearly a decade. As if thrown back in time the cheerful elation present in the statement replayed, and Adora recalled the last time she had heard Catra so overtly excited.

“I..” Try as she might the blonde could not beckon words beyond on the forefront of her mind, translator failing her as thoughts refused to manifest and she simply stood frozen like the feline had been only a few moments prior.

“Try not to think about it. Look, Glimmer and Bow want to meet up in the morning to discuss finding Mr. Negative and making a plan for bringing him in. I don’t think we’ll be able to kill him but we should definitely try and get him put into a high security facility so he can’t continue this dangerous plan of his,” Catra stepped closer, removing her mask and looking around for her bag that she would immediately remember was in the living room, _oh yeah.. I set up shop out there._

“You’re back on board?.. What changed?” Adora couldn’t hide that she was nervous, struggling to keep her composure when suddenly met with the mix-matched eyes of her companion who continued to close the distance between them while seemingly aiming for the backpack that was in the adjacent room.

“If I don’t help, you three are going to get yourselves killed over these ridiculous heroics,” every step that the feline took forward was matched with her teammate moving back equidistance, gazes locked onto one another as the verbal dance started to take a combative turn.

“But you want to be back home.. We’re keeping you from Boston,” pale arms that were folded over Adora’s chest tightened their wrap on each other as she spoke, unintentionally setting off a fuse that hastily made its way towards a larger supply of explosives.

“I have to do this, you may have the fancy gadgets, the amazing powers but you don’t know what I know, haven’t seen what I’ve seen,” electricity began building in Catra’s legs as she attempted to keep herself calm through the statement, emotions starting to cloud her thoughts.

“Why? When do you stop being Ricochet and start being Catra? Is this what happened to you after you left Queens?” limbs unlocked from each other and extended as Adora’s voice raised in volume and she leaned forward slightly, eyebrows furrowing.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, you’re the reason we packed up and moved to begin with. If you wanted answers you would’ve looked for me, but you didn’t,” with grief painted clearly on her expression the feline turned away, trying to keep herself together and her mind on the mission as it felt like someone had opened Pandora’s box in her head.

“I.. I was eleven! I did what any eleven year old would, I cried! Day and night I cried for you!” Her voice cracked, and for the first time in a long time they were on even playing fields, having dealt every card they had at one another and coming up with nothing for which to swing or strike with.

“Enough! We aren’t kids anymore, and there is still much to be done. Are you with me? Or not?” There was that deflect, the avoidance, the ‘this is bigger than us’ attitude to keep their talks short, to stop them from accidentally falling back into the same paths that got them separated to start.

“When.. Do you get to choose? What do you want, Catra?” And the question, asked a second time in the same night and from the source of all the estid’s strife and complications, the wrench in the super-powered machine, the unknown in the equation that prevented it from being solved.

Silence fell on them again, but the feline turned to face her inquisitor with an expression that was such a grand amalgamation of emotions that no one in particular could be plucked from its collective. There was one word, repeating in the empty space that minimized between them, and as clawed feet dragged forward they forced nervous legs to acquiesce and back up.

It grew louder and louder inside the space, bearing down on Catra who continued her path and unbeknownst to Adora who retreated one final time and found herself backed against the door to her room and recognized that the gap between them was continuing to close.

Hearts pounded away, threatening to deafen their operators as with locked gazes the two supers shared different understandings of what could come from their proximity. Panic subsided temporarily when the advance halted and the blonde found herself face to face with a smiling feline, but the emotions had condensed into a mere handful. Affection, adoration.. And.. hunger.

As their lips connected Adora managed a muffled, “what the f--,” that was quickly cut off by the feeling of her back colliding with the door.

_All I ever wanted was you._

* * *

At full blast the phone cried out into the dark silence, siren song screaming loud enough to wake its owner instantly and resulting in a hurried answer with the estid nearly slapping herself in the face in the process. Tensed legs dragged her form out of bed, walking to the farthest part of the room in order to ensure she could be quiet enough to avoid waking the woman who rolled over when she initially ripped the device from its place on the nightstand.

“What’s going on?” A hushed demand spoken from the groggy throat of the feline as her tail flicked back and forth, knowing full well that the woman on the other end wouldn’t call her at three in the morning unless something happened.

“It’s George and Lance, something’s.. Happened in Sac, we have to get home ASAP,” Glimmer’s voice was shaky, and she sounded like she had been running or rushing as Bow could be heard in the background throwing stuff into a suitcase frantically.

“I.. okay.. Will you guys be coming right back?..” For only a moment the voice that slipped through the phone into the sorcerer’s ears was raw and real, resembling the same genuine appearance as the look they shared only a few hours earlier.

“I don’t know, I have no idea what they’re dealing with but it sounds severe.. I.. I have barely enough magic to get us back out there, it took several days to charge up,” tears streamed over the woman’s round cheeks, this was the last thing she’d want after all that they had been through in such a short amount of time.

“So you’re bailing..” Catra was done with entering the field without her armor, and not willing to continue sticking her neck out for someone who couldn’t simply give it to her straight, _rip the band-aid off, god damn it._

“No! I.. Well.. Not exactly. We WILL be back, I just don’t know when.. Or at what capacity,” hysterics began to set in as the woman attempted to defend her actions, uncertain of what would come with their return home and how long it would take to return. _I.. might not see her again.._

“So you’re bailing..” More stern this time, _if you’re not going to fucking admit it I will._ A choked sob could be heard from the other line, silenced and swallowed as the feline’s eyes widened, _oh shit.. She really doesn’t want to go._

Tired blue eyes opened and glanced over at the outline of the lean back of the estid who faced the wall, noting the flicking tail and figuring it was a home emergency of some kind. Shifting focus to the phone that was now in her hand, Adora's thumb clicked the power button once and nearly groaned at the fact that she had left her brightness turned all the way up. Vibrant LEDs burned the image of it being 3:14am on October 28th into her brain before she just as quickly turned the screen off and laid the device back on the charging cradle, still seeing spots and the frame of the merciless display long after it had been deactivated.

“You only hear what you want to hear, don’t you. Listen, hold down NYC, we’ll be back before you know it.. We.. can tackle this,” renewed focus was clear in Glimmer’s voice, and a short pause indicated a second conversation that had been started in the background as Bow responded to her cursory declaration.

“Really? Cause you’re not sounding very confident, sparkles,” exhaustion made its appearance in Catra’s tone, though the statement was received as having more venom than initially intended and it quickly devoured any sort of certainty that the sorcerer had acquired.

“Why are you so cynical?.. If you don’t believe we’ll ma-” equally upset and frustrated the woman wiped her tears, cut off simultaneously by a response over the phone and her companion’s reassuring grip on her shoulder.

“Nope, we’ll see each other again soon, don’t die,” it was somehow the warmest thing spoken during the whole conversation, and long after the click of the call ending the words replayed in Glimmer’s head, something to hold on to while they faced whatever would greet them when they returned home.

Sepia digits loosely pressed the device to the woman’s forehead as she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. A draft beckoned her to turn, remembering the cracked window and realizing why she was so abruptly chilled by the change.

Catra was down to her fur, clothes dropped on the floor haphazardly and accompanied by the outfit that Adora had worn the previous day. Exhausted eyes attempted to focus, shifting from the window to the bed and ultimately deciding it would become too warm if she fully closed the gap in the pane.

“What the fuck have we gotten ourselves into, querida,” a heavy sigh turned into a near silent question, with no immediate answer as the estid crept over to the side of the mattress she’d been sleeping on and climbed back into the bedding. Once the phone was plugged in to stay charged throughout the night Catra adjusted within the soft nest and pulled the blankets up and over her chest, glancing over at the blonde that slept silently next to her.

Except the image that greeted her was not an asleep Adora, rather, blue eyes that darted from side to side looking for _something_ in the feline’s expression. With how her mouth opened and closed it appeared words would form sooner than later, _great, looks like she wants to talk about it._

“Happy birthday..” The disks of blue and gold widened, the pond becoming an ocean and the single dune becoming a desert expanse. She hadn’t heard these words spoken by this voice in over a decade, and it warmed her heart as much as it squeezed hard enough to hurt. Catra was speechless, unable to give any sort of verbal response as emotions began to drown her beneath the calm surface that was slowly and gradually cracking.

“I.. don’t have a gift for you unfortunately, but I figured maybe we could spend the day doing whatever you want! Even if that means me.. Giving you some space,” as Adora continued it became easier to breathe again, signs of life returning to the estid’s limbs as she blinked away the sudden wetness that momentarily coated her irises.

“Well.. what I want most right now..” Hunger replaced the extensive shock, lids falling half-closed as the signature smirk tugged at Catra’s lips and she leaned in close, forcing her companion to panic and trip over her words as she tried to find an appropriate response.

“Is to go back to bed, and pretend the shitty 3am call isn’t the start to my birthday,” from seductive to cheeky in two seconds flat the feline grinned and rolled over, getting comfortable as she felt Adora adjust behind her. The quietest ‘goodnight’ could be heard as they drifted off to sleep together.

* * *

Claws extended from soft tan fingers as an audible yawn sounded off followed by a series of chirps and half-asleep hums. The bedroom was warm and inviting, though gray skies only allowed a fraction of the sun’s rays through the drawn curtains. An expression of pure affection was plastered on Adora’s face as she watched Catra stir and blink slowly a few times, pupils rotating as the blonde that sat above her filled the estid’s vision entirely.

“Hey.. Adora,” it was faint, and scratchy as the feline smiled and cleared her throat, reaching for her phone and immediately realizing they’d slept well into the day as the screen read out ‘12:21’ in stylized digits. A long groan as the phone was placed back on the nightstand and the woman threw both her hands over the side of the bed, hoping the action would magically get her onto her feet and dressed.

“Where do you want to go for breakfast?” The space brightened when the question sunk into the brown ears of the feline who was now carelessly sliding forward off the bed, ready to collapse onto the floor as her limbs fought her every step of the way.

“It’s.. Noon..” Is all Catra managed before fully falling out of bed and onto the floor with a thud and grunt. It summoned a chuckle from Adora who sprung from the mattress like she’d just won the lottery, blue eyes shining as she observed the crumpled estid collect herself.

“Yeah but we just woke up!” Nearly bouncing as she spoke, the blonde looked around for her clothes and began to get dressed, rolling her eyes and blushing lightly when she realized how hard the feline on the floor was staring.

“You got a place in mind?” With a defeated sigh Catra rolled onto her back and stuck a hand to the nearby wall to pull herself onto her feet, muscles complaining as she asked herself what she could’ve done to become so sore, _oh right.. I.. should ask if she’s okay.._

“Yeah! Figured we could hit up Caro’s,” boxer-briefs followed by her two-tone joggers, and for a moment the sports bra Adora normally wore eluded her, drawing a triumphant ‘aha!’ when it was finally discovered in the drawer of her dresser.

“Caro’s is still open?! Isn’t he like eighty now?” First order of business for the sleepy superhero was her hair, which had decided to disregard any requests she made to behave and instead opted to stick out in every direction as claws attempted to comb through it in hopes to smooth it out.

“Celeste runs it, she took over a couple years back,” a comfortable slim fitting shirt completed the blonde’s daily outfit, and as she glanced over at Catra it had become clear that it was her turn to stare, and the feline’s turn to roll her eyes before looking for her clothes.

“Celeste.. From school? Shit, that’s crazy!” Realizing her bag was still in the living room the estid moved fluidly passed Adora who raised an eyebrow when both hands were expertly dodged.

“They’re open until 4, we’ve got plenty of time to get down there..” Adora’s tone was unmistakably loaded, causing her shorter companion to look up and lock eyes with her while rummaging through her backpack.

“We _should_ wait out the rain..” A smirk reappeared on the feline’s face just as she withdrew a fresh pair of underwear, tilting her eyebrow in the same fashion as if to mimic the blonde before her.

“Is that Ricochet’s weakness? A little bit of rain?” It coaxed an immediate scowl from Catra who slipped into the shorts and looked for her suit from the previous night, all the while watching Adora snicker and grin.

“I was trying to be courteous for the tall moron that’s accompanying me, she’s still learning,” both feet slipped into their wraps, with arms poking through the proper sleeves before she quickly packed her bag and threw it over one shoulder.

“Oh you’re such a sweet teacher for considering my feelings, I guess I’m not smart enough to see bad weather might be a hindrance!” With one last combined laugh the blonde was suddenly covered in the white and gold mixture and Ricochet pulled her mask over her face, _Oh, it’s on._

Through light drizzle and early afternoon sun the two supers made their way through the city, Catra rolling over herself as she reoriented with every swing and Adora sticking to the rigid stop-and-go she had learned with the feline’s teachings. As she looked over Ricochet could practically hear the poor armor-clad avenger counting off steps in her head as they continued carving their path through the neighborhoods.

Beneath them people on the sidewalks and crossing the street craned their heads to watch the pair as they passed at incredible speeds. Buzz started with the identification of Ricochet whose name was called a handful of times before people started to recognize she wasn’t alone in her travels. Once or twice ‘Saint’ had been thrown out at them resulting in an increasingly agitated Adora who was getting more heated with every repetition.

“For the last time my name’s not.. UGH, FORGET IT!” Nearly missing her timing resulted in Adora losing some air, but being able to recover as her muscles pulled harder and harder with the swings as if she was blowing off steam in the process. _You just had to give them a name for me didn’t you._

“The Saint just works better for people it seems, She-Ra is catchy though, I’ll have to do some social media blasting so more people pick it up,” raindrops soaked into Catra’s ears, causing them to flick as she tumbled between casts. Behind the veil she held a genuine smile, enjoying her time in the city in a way she did not think possible with her return, _we’ve got a lot to work through, you and I, but we’ve got to be on the right track._

“Easy for you to say, you have a much more complex name and people seem to use it just fine,” a delayed disconnect launched the blonde unexpectedly high, causing her to have a moment of panic before simply spreading her arms and letting herself drop into a comfortable altitude once more.

“Querida.. Do you think people always called me Ricochet?” The silence from her companion told Catra everything she needed to know and in response the estid flipped over herself laughing hysterically. Looking back it was obvious they caught each other’s gazes even with the fabric and for a second the world around them faded into the backdrop.

“It’s been years and I still get the occasional, ‘Hey it’s Spider-Cat!’. People are quick to latch on to whatever seems to fit even if it's not accurate or in this case politically appropriate. Give it time, the public will know you as She-Ra soon enough,” it reached Adora’s ears just as they both slid to a stop on top of an apartment building, trained hands quickly withdrawing the hoodie and jeans from the bag and tucking the mask in the main pocket of the sweater.

* * *

Back on the ground again both women approached the café, larger than it used to be with renovations and a new paint job somewhere along the lines. The scheme was still the white, salmon pink and coffee brown as always, bringing Catra back to times where they’d visit every other Wednesday and her and Adora would trade stories and dare each other to do stupid stunts.

“So what’s Celeste been up to aside from running the café? Did she go to college for anything or did she just take over out of hi--,” as copper hands held the door for her companion the estid wondered out loud how much had changed in the last several years, the last time she’d seen the small cervid was when they still went to elementary school together. 

“Adora! By the gods it’s been far too long! How have you been, friend?” Thick chocolate arms appeared from seemingly nowhere, flailing excitedly as the rest of the shape came into view, a tall dark woman who wore a pastel outfit beneath the signature staff apron bearing the restaurant’s logo and name.

[ ](https://twitter.com/VOREDAY88/status/1334744152286752768?s=20)

Between the red curls pulled into a bun, the antlers that had grown to their full length, and the pools of honey which shined as she looked the blonde up and down there was no doubt in Catra’s mind, this was Celeste.

_Oh no, she’s ho.. Huge.. she’s huge._

“Cele--,” Being acknowledged with a smile and half her name was all the woman needed, immediately engulfing the unsuspecting woman as she allowed herself to be crushed by the affectionate assailant. Once the sounds of Adora gasping reached her ears Celeste let up, hands gripping at the thick muscle of the woman’s upper arms as she pulled away.

“I haven’t seen you in the gym in awhile, but you’re clearly still keeping shape, did you move or something?” The caribou took the opportunity to compare guns jokingly, flexing her short-furred bicep and quickly glancing between the two muscles as a nervous laugh took up the last portion of air in the blonde’s lungs.

“Yeah! Well.. no, you see, I..” She was floundering, having forgotten that such was the last time they’d really seen each other and staying in touch online was something Adora had always been rather bad at.

“Right! When we talked you said it was getting too expensive for your budget, the offer still stands to tag along with me as a guest! That being said, whatever you’re doing is working!” Celeste smiled big and continued to poke at various parts of the shorter woman, impressed with the physique she’d clearly been working hard to acquire.

_Alien steroids really help._

“And.. wait.. Is this.. CATRA?! Catra Morales in the flesh and fur?! Holy shit buddy it has been.. A decade? How the hell have you been?!” At the mention of her own name the feline snapped out of her thoughts, and immediately fell into memories that clutched her almost as tight as the strong arms of her estid acquaintance.

_“Whoa! Are you okay?!” Mix-matched eyes were wide with concern and overwhelming fascination as the two estids stared at the chunk of honeycombed bone which had previously been on the older girl’s head alongside a duplicate that sat on her left side._

_“Yeah I just feel.. A little unbalanced.. Maybe if I,” before Catra could stop her the cervid tilted her head and pinned her other antler against branches in an adjacent tree, running it up and down against the bark until it separated silently and she picked them both up._

_“Can I.. touch them? It doesn’t hurt?” small clawed hands initially reached to brush against the shed antlers, before changing focus entirely to the spots that they used to be where there was now just a rough patch beneath her fingertips._

_“Not at all, my dad says this happens every year, he’s still got a couple sets of his own from when he was young,” Celeste smiled big, having experienced the phenomena once before and already discussing such with her parents who explained it like losing teeth, a natural process of maturity and growth._

_“When the dinosaurs still roamed the earth yeah?” A high pitched cackle, met with a deeper chuckle from the now equally short reindeer as they both playfully shoved into each other._ __  
_  
_ _“Pffft, no! He does pre-date computers though which is crazy.. Could you imagine?” Eyebrows furrowed in confusion and the two shared an expression of pure disbelief before continuing to crack up and walk back towards the house together._

No longer a thin branch in the wind but rather a tree trunk of a woman, with antlers thicker at their points than Catra’s fingers which were flexed out as the panic of being picked up raced through her veins. Celeste held her up almost as long as Scorpia normally did, but seemed careful to not squeeze her as tight as the arachnid had, _is she afraid I’d take off? Do I really run away that frequently?_

“We figured we’d stop in for lunch, it’s Catra’s b--,” Adora began as excited murmurs rolled off of the tongue of the larger estid in droves, turning the feline this way and that as the two supers locked eyes and brown ears nearly flapped with how hard Catra was shaking her head.

“It’s the first time Catra’s been back to NYC in a long time, I promised I’d show her what has changed and how the city is fairing,” for once in her life the blonde had managed a smooth transition and delivery, coming closer than she’d ever been to successfully lying, though all she did was avoid telling the whole truth.

Celeste placed the smaller estid back on her feet gently, realizing she hadn’t checked to see if the woman would be okay with the affection and preparing to apologize if it was in any way unwarranted or had made her uncomfortable.

“That is so cute! You both are.. Finally..” hands gestured between them, mouth turned into an incredibly tight smile as the deep golden gaze bounced between them over-excitedly. Without waiting for a response the dark brown deer seated them in a booth, continuing to grin like a kid on Christmas as she watched them both with unbridled joy.

“No, god no,” Catra protested immediately, rolling her eyes as hard as she could to ensure her dismissiveness was apparent. _Are we.. friends with benefits?.._

“Yeah of course not..” Quick to agree, the blonde was relieved to have some form of initial statement to piggyback off of as thoughts began to circulate in her mind, _we’re not.. Colleagues, so what are we?_

“AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY FINALLY?!” The sudden increase in volume caught Adora’s attention, light peach hands reaching across the table instinctively and wrapping themselves around the smaller wrists of the angry estid. Silence fell on the scene and Celeste’s silhouette vanished under the guise of retrieving something for them to drink and giving them time to review the menus on the table.

After a couple minutes of awkwardly glancing from the laminated sheets to each other and back Catra huffed, unable to deal with the lack of conversation and unwilling to be left with her own thoughts any longer.

“The menu is bigger than I remember,” pupils jumped back and forth as the estid read the text and scanned the pictures over and over again, slowly becoming stricken by choice paralysis as everything looked delicious, _shit that’s right.. I didn’t grab grub at all last night. Which also means she hasn’t eaten either._

“That’s because it’s not the kids menu,” Adora was hiding behind her card, trying desperately not to immediately lose her composure over her own joke and failing as she bore holes in the paper with the strained focus she was keeping.

“Adora..” It was half amusement, half complete and total disappointment as the plastic placard met the acrylic of the table and the feline shook her head at the ridiculous quip.

Across the booth the blonde lowered her menu enough for Catra to catch the cheekiest smile she’d ever seen, forcing her to finally surrender herself and laugh so hard she started crying.

Celeste brought them both coffees, and recorded their lunch orders while the banter continued, for a little while it felt like the three had gone back in time with the chaos that was being created.

“Roast beef melt, small cup of French onion for Catra, ham and cheese triple decker for Adora and a bowl of cheddar broccoli. Anything else?” The pencil was incredibly small when grasped between the server’s fingers, and little effort went into stabilizing the lined pad as it fit in the palm of her hand while she scribbled away.

“Are.. you gonna be okay handling all that cheese?” For a moment the feline seemed concerned, genuinely worried about the ramifications that she would likely be subjected to as an unwilling passenger on the soon to be wild ride.

  
“Not the first time, won’t be the last,” Adora shrugged, thinking about the last several times she’d gone on binges due to various cravings, _I’m not lactose intolerant.. I’ll be fine.. My body just.. Doesn’t like cheese, but I love cheese, so.._

“You’re gonna regret it during your workout later!” Celeste broke her out of the asiago day-dream, laughing about the time they had to bail on the gym after the blonde consumed an entire six-cheese pizza and was sick for two whole days.

“Yeah Adora, it might hinder your _performance_ ,” from across the table the cyan iris vanished briefly, a result of a well-timed wink from the freckled feline as she smirked and wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

Taking it as her cue to make herself scarce the caribou nodded and quickly scurried into the kitchen to put the order in, shaking her head and chuckling once she knew she was out of earshot and sight.

_My god these bitches gay, good for them._


	5. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer comes to a hasty conclusion, Catra relaxes for once in her life, and Adora gets a well deserved confidence boost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Estid is an umbrella term for the hybridized humans that feature animal, insect or plant abilities and features.

Spacious darkness cloaked the quaint bedroom, furniture untouched and air peacefully quiet as a wall clock ticked away with seconds that passed. The sound of sparks flying preceded a large circle of glowing purple light that began to carve itself into the open area of the room, slow and steady in its generation as the noise grew.

With its completion the portal brought forth a familiar pair, a blur of pink and purple hair that swiftly met the soft carpet of the floor with a hard thud, and a taller wide-eyed figure who quickly dragged both suitcases through and placed them off to the side.

“Oh my god! Are you okay? Glimmer.. Please tell me you’re alright,” as soon as the baggage was secured in the space Bow’s hands cupped her cheeks, concern painted on his face as she gave a pitiful half-smile.

“I’m fine.. I.. I need to rest.. That was harder than the first time,” the woman’s voice was low, pink eyes shining with forced focus as she stilled her shaking hands and moved to get up off the floor.

Unsteady legs pushed the sorcerer to her feet once more, but as she began to make her way to the bed she so desperately craved the sound of another pair of people entering the room drew her attention.

“Thank goodness you were able to get through, we’ve got to hurry, something’s.. Happened,” between the two men that had burst through the door frame the taller spoke nervously, words full of haste as he tried to convey the severity of the situation. His arms shook as a shuddered breath was inhaled through gritted teeth and in response the shorter man's hand found his shoulder, squeezing in reassurance.

"Is it something we can deal with in the morning? Between the time zone difference and the teleporting I don't have enough energy for anything right now..," Glimmer demonstrated her exhaustion with an attempted spark summoning that died within her fingers, subsequently forcing her to lose her balance as she tried to maintain any sort of control.

The dads looked at each other with furrowed eyebrows, and after a couple seconds of unspoken correspondence they returned their focus to the jetlagged supers.

“There’s.. At least something you both should see,” George's clean cut mustache shifted as he worked through the words with great caution, mind racing beneath his steeled expression.

_ So no sleep? I’m going to start throwing shit I swear. _

The four of them shuffled into the makeshift office both men had set up as a base of operations for their various projects throughout the city, though in the absence of the superpowered pair a new map further west from them had been placed up alongside several hastily written notes. Lance gestured to the monitor where a paused video was placed in full screen view, displaying an absolutely terrifying scene of a wave that towered at least a dozen meters appearing to manifest around a blackened oval shape within it.

“That’s.. Lake Berryessa? Is it even capable of a wave that size?” Bow was the first to speak, mouth hanging agape once he had finished as the bronze gaze scanned the frame for every bit of information that he could absorb.

“Not naturally..” Lance sighed, glancing up at the notes he had placed on the newly added clippings and maps pertaining to the lake and its surrounding areas. He had placed a few formulas on the paper in order to solve what would be possible given the body of water, and what had previously been recorded as far as extremes.

“That.. dark spot.. Is that a person?” His eyebrows furrowed in the same manner as his fathers, and concern began to rise again in the young man's voice, realization of the potential damage beginning to set in.

“It’s a super..” a single sentence from the caster, struggling to get through the statement as her eyelids drifted shut and she sat down to avoid falling over.

“They ravaged several lakefront properties, and flooded the neighborhood..,” George spoke cleanly, moving to flip through images that had been taken by a news crew that had been on the scene about an hour after the initial reports.

"Casualties?" Iron Heart’s tone shifted, and the tension building in his muscles became obvious as it crept down into his hands, forcing both to ball into fists as determined eyes squinted and stared.

“Six hospitalized with minor injuries.. But we should get a jump on this before things get worse. The last sighting was near the Napa River. If this is what can be done with the lakes and bays I imagine the coast will be underwater in hours once they reach the gulf,” Lance tabbed to another window, an article with images of the more recent sightings and the group of people who had been removed from their damaged homes.

“We’ll get going immediately,” with no sign of Bow left the hero turned to gather his things, a clear mission in sight and objectives at the forefront of his mind a path was chosen that would be adhered to.

“No,” a single word to shatter every plan the spider was making, and stop his progress as he turned to face the arcanist.

“Glimmer..” the name left his lips loaded with emotion, desperation and conviction mixing in his expression.

“I can’t.. I have literally no magic, I can’t get us there,” her voice cracked, and though she was holding steady Glimmer was slowly losing the grip she had on the facade, the further Bow pushed into Iron Heart, the further she became from Obscura.  _ I'm not infinite, I can't just.. make miracles. _

“Well you can take the car, and I’ll get pillows and get a bed set up in the back seat! It’ll be perfect,” Lance broke the tension temporarily, his smile a nearly welcome sight as he mentally made a checklist for what would be necessary.

“I’m not going, I need to sleep, this isn’t something I can handle after a ‘quick back seat nap’,” her fatigue shifted to anger, and for a moment the sorcerer seemed truly cognizant as the strain in her eyes became more prevalent.

“If we don’t help them more people are going to get hurt.. Or worse,” the gap between them was closed, his hands motioning towards the screen where articles were still pulled up highlighting the condition of those who had already been impacted.

“And if we get hurt? And can’t help anyone else because we’re injured or killed by this thing?” Glimmer stood once more, though she was still shorter between them as she pointed with finality at the ebony oval on the second monitor.

“I.. We’re going, end of story,” out of options, and unable to find a proper argument Bow settled on putting his foot down, unwilling to let the disaster go further than it already had.

“I’M. NOT. GOING. NO MEANS NO,” in an instant the lights went out within their house, monitors wheezing as their power source was cut and computer fans slowing to a stop. Based on the groans that could be heard from across the street the sudden blackout seemed to affect their entire block at least; as the group froze where they stood as a result of the loss of sight, changes took place in the cover of the summoned darkness.

Glimmer fell to her knees, shrieking in surprise and overwhelming adrenaline as a familiar energy was drawn into her form. Electricity translated itself into arcane charge and she felt her stores begin to replenish, breathing heavy as the tingling that followed power arcing through her muscles brought her back to the interactions she had with Catra. The estid's levels impressed her, but it would seem Ricochet had a similar ability to draw on surrounding sources,  _ easy to seem powerful when the power isn’t yours, no wonder that transformer was blown. _

Sorcery seared her skin, blackened the whites of her eyes and gave Obscura an otherworldly glow, vibrant pink and white. The lavender suit manifested from thin air, covering her form and as the glass slid over burning orbs the magenta flames were visible beneath the signature haze. A hand thrusted out of its own accord, gripping Iron Heart by his collar and making eye contact before both of them were surrounded by the same strange clouds within her helmet.

No sign of the beefing heroes remained once the smoke cleared, menacing empty space left behind in the spot where they both stood. With the lights restored both of the men who had previously been frozen in shock exhaled as if they’d been holding their breath.

“What on Earth was that?” Bow stumbled, successfully getting his feet into the pantholes of his leggings on the third try and pulling the suspender style straps up and over his shoulders. Barely able to keep up with the pace that Glimmer was setting as violet boots clapped hard against the shrouded asphalt of the alley.

“I don’t know,” it was less of an answer, and held the contempt of a command as it cast a quick light within the mist riddled helmet. The sorcerer’s gloved hands were curled into fists as she came to a halt, waiting for her companion to ready himself with the rest of his suit.

“When I spoke with Anita it sounded like Ricochet had developed new abilities and so did She-Ra after they came into contact with one another. Could this be proximity based as well?” Hands triumphantly slid through the sleeves of the shirt and then placed his digits comfortably into the breathable white gloves.   


“Maybe,” Behind the glass thoughts and emotions launched, bouncing around in Obscura’s mind with no real outlet, no answers, and nowhere to go.

“Look.. I’m sorry for pushing you.. I shouldn’t have--,” as soon as Iron Heart’s mask was secured and his backup clothes were bagged the man realized he hadn’t really acknowledged the events that led up to her explosion.

“No, you shouldn’t have,” there was totality to it, as if nothing else on the topic was worth discussing and with a glance to confirm her suspicion that he was ready Glimmer vanished from sight and reappeared a hundred meters away on the far side of the parking lot they were in.

Web grappled the light posts and with all the smoothness of an expert Bow caught up, following close as the teleportation continued and the pair made their way west towards the water,  _ we’ll find.. And apprehend? This super.. Or Glimmer might.. Snap more than she already has.  _ His worry increased as their speed did, and the caster’s breathing became labored as she practically burst with energy after every blink through space.

“But if there’s something more going on you know you can talk to me, we’re best friends! There’s nothing we can’t handle!”  _ Wow, that was.. A terrible apology.  _ The longer silence raged on between them the more Iron Heart considered rescinding his statement or simply dropping the attempt at conversation altogether.

"It's Catra.. there's.. something there I can't quite figure out," managing words in between jumps was usually fairly easy for the sorcerer, which led the web-slinger to consider that there was something more brewing beneath the smooth glass surface of the fogged helmet.  _ Something’s wrong.. I can feel it. _

"She mentioned you dropped her into a black hole?" It was meant to be a joke, or at least light-hearted enough that they could keep the topic from drawing out the emotion that was stirring in the shallow waters of the woman’s form. Unfortunately for Bow, he had accidentally stumbled onto the exact occurrence that created the snowball of concerns shifting through his companion.

"I teleported her! I've done that hundreds of times! There's no way I got the spell wrong!" Temporarily consumed by the feelings that coursed through every nerve and limb Glimmer barely remembered she’d need to teleport again to keep herself off the ground. Rather than anger surging, the energy she radiated appeared to lean towards true sorrow and anxiety.

"So you think she saw something while in.. limbo?" It was the spider’s turn to forget his rhythm, almost seeming purposeful as he landed on a rooftop with a silent skid and prompted the caster to reappear a couple feet away.

"I couldn't see her face because of the mask, but there was fear in her voice.."  _ I can’t see her face because of the mask, but there is fear in her voice. _

* * *

Glass windows of towering structures reflected the late afternoon sunlight, soft glow resembling fire that warmed the city below. Sounds of horns blaring and people yelling were barely heard by the arachnid duo that flew through the air with seamless transition in their well-timed swings. East Manhattan was the opposite direction of Adora’s apartment from the café, but Ricochet was enjoying following the larger woman around the districts.

“So she doesn’t know about your abilities? What happened when you guys did workouts together? There’s no way she didn’t have questions!” It had been so long since the feline set foot in the compressed borough, the few times they had crossed over and visited were for Lorena’s work, and the young super was still in the single digits of youth.

“I suddenly doubled weight in a lot of my lifts and didn’t show signs of struggle, she caught on quickly and thought I was doping. I told her the membership fee was getting to be too much for my budget and that I’d have to spend more time working for Anita if I wanted to be able to go again, sort of a catch twenty-two because gym time would be lab time instead,” confidence was building while Adora finally began to feel like She-Ra, muscles starting to operate as if the traversal was second nature and she could focus on the conversation without detriment.

A curve left placed them on the same avenue as a developing scene about a thousand feet ahead, and as they advanced on it the source of the panic came into view. Many people had successfully dodged out of the way and cars were crashed in a pileup as an out of control bus raced at high speeds through the business-centric streets.

“Looks like we’ve got a situation, hope your ham sandwich stays down,” Ricochet took the lead, blitzing ahead as she began to mentally note the path of the bus and the course of action that would be best.

“I’ll get the bus, try and clear a path just in case,” before the estid could stop her the blur of white and gold tore past, gaining speed and veering down once she was close enough to attach to the front of the raging vehicle.

“It’d be a good time to test out the new suit’s range,” beneath the mask Catra rolled her eyes and swung until she was close enough to the ground to land and immediately took off in a sprint once both clawed feet touched down.

Screams became immediately drowned out by the roar of the sound barrier cracking under the pressure of the super that moved through it, scarlet speedster making her way in front of the bus and immediately grabbing people to move them. Mix-matched eyes were wide as her brain seemed to catch up with the task at hand and she watched the world around her move in slow motion, bullet time ticking as the path before her became clear.

Technology in the suit allowed it to stay together during the venture, the field stretching far enough to cover those who were being extracted, sparing them from the harsh g-forces as Ricochet cleared more than a fair path and eyed the metal and glass projectile as it creeped ever closer to her.

Silver threads began to rip and split as Adora let out a groan with both hands gripping the grill and feet cutting through the road beneath,  _ I.. I am not strong enough.. _

_ Yes you are.. _

“For the honor.. Of Grayskull!” Words reached the crimson cat's ears as she slowed her pace and caught the start of Adora’s growth, shoulders bulking and legs expanding to give her the leverage she’d need to stop the advance.

Much larger now, the blonde heaved with the energy and strength as it was renewed within her and became an unmovable object that forced the vehicle to a stop immediately. Several of the passengers were thrown forward with the sudden halt, but hastily opened the doors and managed to hop off screaming about how the driver was out cold or dead.

The light blue visor met the white reflective caps of Ricochet’s mask and in less than a second she retrieved the man from the driver’s seat, laying him out on the open road and checking for any and all signs of life,  _ he’s not breathing, no pulse.. No.. not like this. _

Tan and black hands closed one over the other at the center of his chest, and mentally she timed her movements as she pressed repeatedly. Counting to a beat the background sounds of sirens approaching faded and she heard the frequency chimed in Averie’s voice instead of her own.

_ “That woman you pulled from the wreckage.. I’m afraid she didn’t make it,” the charcoal cat leaned against the doorway, golden eyes shining with exhaustion as she had just gotten home and was still in her scrubs. _

_ “There’s no fucking way! They said they found a pulse!” The younger estid exploded with anger, crossing the small room in an instant as she stared up at her sister. _

_ “It’s not always that simple Catra.. We try our best and there are bound to be times where we’re just not fast enough,” Averie’s eyebrows were pulled tight as the woman chewed on her cheek and worked through the explanation. _

_ “Well tell me what I need to do,” the broken eye contact was due to the burnt orange feline turning to the rest of her room, back facing the bearer of bad news as she awaited a response that deep down she knew didn’t exist. _

_ “What would I have needed to do to save her?” Silence between them was always short lived, often because Catra would push the issue if she hadn’t received the answer she was looking for. _

_ “Catra I..” Averie started and stopped, mouth opening and closing as she tried to find the words to comfort, console or commiserate. _

_ “Just fucking tell me!” The anger returned two fold, resulting in fangs bared at the woman she had barely seen this week due to both of them being ‘busy saving lives’. _

_ “I don’t know! There’s no cookie cutter solution to everything!” Fangs were met by an identical set, if not a hair larger from the older woman who made it clear that things should not progress any further for their sake. _

_ “I’ll teach you hands-only CPR, it’s easy to pick up and though I hope you never have to use it is an important skill to have at hand,” this satisfied the super at the time, and she was taught the two things she would need to keep in mind when performing the procedure: rate of presses, and depth of presses. _

“Ricochet..,” a quiet whisper on the air as Adora watched the estid grow increasingly distressed with every series of compressions she had completed on the man while he laid still beneath her. Sirens howled as the ambulance parked and EMS members began to assess the situation, identifying the man as a primary target and approaching the scene cautiously.

Calls from a mother to her daughter sounded off once the dust of the scene settled and it became apparent that the child was trapped, crying in response that she can’t get out, “I’m over here!”

Reluctantly the still hulking She-Ra turned away from the scene as Ricochet recognized the approaching paramedics, quiet conversation could barely be picked up as the blonde shifted her attention to the missing girl. With little hesitation Adora leapt onto the top of the bus and after spotting the curly brown hair immediately launched herself over to the pile of crunched cars.

Scared chestnut eyes greeted her as the unexpected entrance forced a shriek from the child and caused her to shrink back into the space she was trapped in beneath two sedans that had piled against each other.

“It’s okay, I’m here to help you,” muscles strained as the blonde got a firm grip on the main vehicle and with a grunt moved it off, letting go as it scraped against the other and collapsed onto the sidewalk on the other side. Smiling beneath the mask Adora offered a hand and retrieved the smaller human, lifting her out of the space and setting her down comfortably where she could move freely.

“Thanks, big lady,” from fearful squinting to curious circles the thankful daughter craned her neck to look up at the towering behemoth that stood before her.

“You can call me She-Ra,” warmth oozed from the invitation, causing the girl’s expression to light up further as she grabbed one of the oversized fingers in her hand and dragged the hero back to where her mother continued to call for her.

“Sofia?! Sofia oh my god!” the same chestnut colored eyes, with darker curls, emerged from the gathered crowd and scooped the child up with abundant affection, squeezing tight enough that Sofia wheezed in slight panic. Once she was set down after being picked up for a second time in less than five minutes her mother addressed Adora directly, although, incorrectly.

“Thank you Saint,” the blonde didn’t have time to be offended at the idea that she was being wrongly identified, again, as the flailing and sighs from the tiny human preceded an immediate correction.

“Mommy, her name is She-Ra,” Sofia’s expression was grumpy, or at least such was the intention, but as she pinched her eyebrows and frowned as hard as she could the chubbiness of her cheeks and softness in her eyes betrayed her and forced both her mother and Adora to chuckle over the cuteness.

“Right, thank you, She-Ra,” a statement spoken loud enough that it caused whispers among the gathered crowd, drawing growing excitement over the day being saved and before long it beckoned cheers for She-Ra and Ricochet, saviors of NYC.

“Time to go, princess! The spotlight will be there when we’re needed again,” Catra called out while giving a cheeky salute to a skinny blonde guy that was desperately attempting to keep himself steady while recording on his cell phone. Dressed in business casual clothing the man was shaking like a leaf at the scene that had unfolded, and the size of the white and gold marauder that had just been referred to as ‘princess’.

“Time to go, dweeb! I told you to stop trying to record everything on your phone, the camera sucks!” From behind him merciless hands gripped at his collar and began to drag him back the woman that commanded them. A mohawk of dreads was pulled up tight, shaking minimally as the two interns resumed their walk towards the parking garage of their office, a tall, green lizard estid following behind them in similar garb.

Ricochet began to scale beneath She-Ra who through a mix of adrenaline and elation temporarily forgot she could use webs and instead climbed up the building bounding like a cheetah,  _ is she.. Showing off? _ Memory served her very right and very wrong as the estid recollected that she had moved a car with little effort to save someone mere moments ago.

A sound cut through the air, shaking the thoughts and images as the smaller woman sped up to catch it, _is_ _Adora.. Laughing? Genuinely? A bit deeper than usual.. I guess her vocal chords also grow.. Strange._ The blonde reached the roof first, sliding to a stop after taking a few heavy steps to slow herself down; she looked over her shoulder in time to see her companion follow, though she stopped much closer to the edge of the rooftop.

Slowly air escaped the lungs of the enlarged spider, skipping by her tusks as blue eyes closed and her mind was cleared to the best of her ability. As Adora relaxed the uncomfortable cracking sounds of bones reverting broke the silence between them, as disgusting as it was, Catra couldn’t be happier to hear it.

“Oh thank the gods,” her voice was barely above a whisper, but as the normal sized super turned towards her it became obvious that the statement had been received,  _ oh shit she knows. _

“Yeah! I was worried I’d be stuck again, feels like I’m finally getting better at this!” Adora gave a cheeky smile and a thumbs up once she realized the expression wouldn’t be received as her face was covered.

_ How are you this fucking dense. _

* * *

"So you're telling me you could've had anyone, LITERALLY anyone in Boston and Queens and you chose the crazy bitch that'll out us both the moment she finds out who we are?" With a backpack stuffed to the brim with dinner ingredients and baggy clothes Ricochet lightly jogged across the rooftop and dove off the side, readjusting her mask before starting the airborne journey with a swing.

"I mean.. we got along real well and six months ago I didn't think I'd be on a team that she was maliciously researching! Besides, what's your excuse? You're in just as good if not better shape, why aren't you with anyone?" She-Ra was right behind her, back-flipping in the descent before finding an anchor and veering through the early evening air.

"I've had my share, but nobody I've been with has been able to keep up with me," agile hands worked on instinct, allowing the estid to build speed as she raced through neighborhoods and spotted Adora’s apartment complex in the distance.

"Until now," always the cockier of the two somehow, the blonde found her way in front of the freckled feline and grinned wide beneath the lycra, catching the audible eye roll as Catra fluidly moved around her.

"Are you saying we're together? Bold of you to assume since you haven't asked and I haven't said yes," the estid’s ears shifted as she looked back, calling over her shoulder and smirking,  _ and that’s not an invitation, asshole. _

"Well we..," Adora trailed off, suddenly lacking the wind in her sails as she struggled to keep up with the source of her sudden doubt, space increasing by the second,  _ are we.. friends with benefits then? _

"Slept together? Yeah, but by that definition Sparkles and I would be dating and that's.. an uncomfortable thought," the sound that escaped Catra’s throat was close to a gag, but paled in comparison to the immediate mixture of baffled shock and gears grinding to a halt that manifested itself as an ‘ACK’ crawling from the blonde’s mouth in response.

"Wait WHAT?!" She-Ra’s movements ceased immediately, resulting in her losing altitude and any awareness as mix-matched eyes watched her crash head long into the unyielding brick wall of a church they were skirting over.

* * *

Within the kitchen barely big enough for one person, both women worked in silence, nimble clawed fingers holding a chef’s knife steady to chop vegetables while larger hands were coated in more bread crumbs than the chicken they attempted to handle.

Catra could tell Adora wanted to ask a question, and based on the awkward silence for the remainder of their trip back to the apartment it was likely going to be related to Glimmer.  _ So help me gods, ask me about anything but that. _

“Martin Lee is hosting a gala, him and Mara invited me and I have the option for a plus one! We even get food and drink vouchers!” Adora held her thoroughly covered hands up as the estid turned to her with the sharp end of the knife pointed outward. After realizing that the topic was not the anticipated nightmare the estid swiftly returned to her task in hopes the blonde wouldn’t question her further.

“I’ll go with, maybe it’ll help us get some insight on what if any ties he has to Mr. Negative,” after a minute of deliberation to cover her awkwardness the estid paused to respond before returning to gathering the chunks to be pan fried.

“If he’s on the enemy team why would he have paid for those car repairs?” The chicken was placed carefully onto a pan and with the ding of the preheating completing blue eyes darted between the oven and her flaking fingers.   


“If he’s on our side why did his wine make me sick?” Catra sighed, taking the tray and pushing it into the oven before turning on the water in the sink to save the taller woman the hassle of using her elbows.

“We still don’t know if it was tampered with, but you’re right. Will you be able to hide your suit?” Adora welcomed the warm water, scrubbing off the crumbs and grabbing some soap for good measure,  _ this.. Is the first time I’ve used the oven in like.. A year? _

“Yeah, it fits fairly well beneath most formal-wear, when is the party?” Adding oil to a frying pan the estid turned on a burner and began to heat the surface while gathering the carrots, broccoli and peppers.

“About that.. It’s tomorrow night,” with half-lidded eyes the feline was corralling the veggies into the pan, stopping abruptly and causing a loud scraping sound to ring out as the information reached her ears.

“AND YOU WAITED UNTIL NOW TO TELL ME?!” This time the knife ended up much closer to the blonde, nervously raising her hands once more as she realized Catra was closing the distance.

“We can go first thing in the morning, I know a shop that’ll have a decent selection,” Adora panicked, frozen for a second as the estid smirked and diverted the path of her hands to place the chef’s knife and the cutting board in the sink.

With food in their system both supers realized how much energy they had expended traversing the city and stopping the automotive crisis. Adora was the first to yawn, but Catra followed instinctively before staring daggers at the blonde who barely registered that she had started the chain.

“Ready for bed?” It was hard to resist the comforting invitation, there was something so genuine in the way the girl’s blue eyes shined. The estid broke their locked gazes to will herself to movement, reaching for the previously untouched phone to retrieve the time and a necessary distraction.

“It’s only like nine..” Surprise burst from the feline’s tone, as if for a split second her brain’s filter had turned off entirely and raw thoughts became spoken words. Her tail flicked back and forth as she checked her social media accounts and contemplated finding something else to entertain herself with before calling it a night.

“Well, we had interruptions yesterday, and since we’re gonna go suit shopping we should get up early!” Adora had already begun the process of stripping her layers of daywear, dipping in and out of her bedroom as she changed and flexed once or twice in the spacey spider’s direction.

_ Interruptions? Oh.. right.. Glimmer’s call.. Shit. I haven’t checked in to see how they’re doing at all. _

“Why.. are you looking at me like that?” Catra didn’t know how long she’d been zoned out, but seemed to finally snap out of it in time to catch the blonde staring pointedly at her from the doorway.

“Did you have a good birthday? I know we got caught up in some stuff but I think it was good to see Celeste again and a bit more of the city!” The woman gently offered her companion a spare set of sleepwear,  _ they might be too big, shoot. _

“Well it wasn’t terrible,” mix-matched eyes crinkled as she fought a smile, and settled on forcing herself to smirk while her ears betrayed every attempt at seeming playfully indifferent about the day.

“I’ll take it!” Pale hands linked with furred fingers and with the door shut solidly behind them both women settled in for slumber.

In the cold dark of the room there stirred a sickening snap, barely audible as Adora’s eyes shot open and she lifted herself from the mattress. As the blonde’s vision adjusted she could make out the feline’s silhouette, turned towards the window with her back to the bed.

Mumbles escaped the lips of the scrambling student, moving before her feet even connected with the floor to close the distance between them. Words mouthed silently from the feline’s mouth as she rocked her head back and forth, both eyes shut fast in REM sleep as beneath the lids irises hastily moved.

“Catra? Catra, wake up! You’re having a nightmare, open your eyes!” Shaking hands found tense shoulders and jostled them hard enough to force the intended reaction, met with panicked cyan and gold orbs that were wet with the start of tears.

“Wha.. what are  _ you _ doing here?” It was pointed, full of venom that for a few seconds brought Adora back to the rooftop with the smaller woman’s fist against her jaw.  _ Her eyes aren’t black and white.. She’s not afflicted. _

“I.. we’re in my apartment! Is everything alright?” Despite all the warning signs telling the blonde to keep her distance something in her activated and she found herself reaching out towards the striped forearms in front of her. However, before fingers met fur a surge of electricity pooled and exploded, sending the woman sliding back with shock and pain on her face.

“Stay back! Where the hell am I?” Catra’s pupils shifted back and forth, trying to scan the surroundings but becoming more frantic as it occurred to her companion that the estid could be hallucinating or not fully awake.

“Catra.. Come back to me, what do you see?” Matching streaks ran down the cheeks of the women as they faced each other. Adora was used to crying when things got overwhelming, but the fact that the feline shared her emotional outburst scared her, truly and completely.

“Don’t TOUCH ME! Those eyes.. I.. I know those eyes..” If someone or something was making contact with the estid it was not visible to her companion who quickly summoned the HUD for her suit in hopes she could spot the unseen foe.

I nfrared scans provided no insight, but the readings for Catra’s heart rate peaked as she whimpered and collapsed onto the floor in a heap. On her way down one of her hands caught on the windowsill, smacking hard against it before sliding off to join the rest of her form on the floor.

Adora cautiously moved in, keeping an eye on the vitals scan as she found the woman breathing but unresponsive. With a quiet grunt the feline was lifted onto the bed, and sitting beside her was the taller girl, quickly becoming a sentry as she watched over with tension in every limb.

* * *

T hrough the calm silence gentle sun rays poured in through half-open curtains, and two familiar shapes were curled up together with Adora only visible from the shoulders up and furred brown triangles of Catra’s ears peeking out from under the blankets. Tiny chirps and tired sighs signalled the feline’s awakening, and once she blinked several times the visage of her smitten blonde bedmate came into focus.

“Good morning.. Idiot,” it wasn’t what the blonde expected to hear, but as the estid pulled away from her to stretch it seemed a sour mood was the source of the name calling.

“I.. Good morning, asshat! Why are you so grumpy?” Blue eyes squinted, confusion twisting her expression as a low chuckle greeted the question.

“I’m not grumpy! You’d think after all this time you’d recognize my affectionate insults as what they are,” Catra continued to snicker, finishing her stretch and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

“Oh so I should be happy at you calling me an idiot?” Poking the bear.. Er.. cat.. Was one of Adora’s favorite activities, getting a rise out of Catra was quite easy; they both seemed to know the best ways to get under each other’s skin.

“You’re not just any idiot, you’re m--,” before the estid could complete her sentence a cheerful melody screamed at far too high a volume from the phone on the blonde’s side of the bed. Swift arms flailed to find it and silence the deafening chimes that were unrelenting in their efforts to awaken the presumably still sleeping women.

A sigh of relief escaped Adora’s mouth as she disabled the alarm and read the ‘08:00am time to suit up!’ message she had left for the occasion. Awkward silence never lasted long in the presence of the taller woman, but a new record had been set with how suddenly she laughed at her own joke.

With a curious expression the feline mutely inquired, looking to be in on whatever was happening and just as fast coming to regret it as she brought her palm to her forehead.  _ That’s.. That’s so stupid..  _ And it was, which is why it shocked Catra that much more when she heard herself cackle.

"This is how it could be, between us," the phrase slipped into the air easily, leaving Adora delayed in realizing she had said it instead of thinking it and as such dawned on her the blonde immediately tried to walk it back.

"It's not that simple, princess," her ears were folded back, her tail flicking as the laughter was cut off with the same suddenness of a bullet piercing a skull.

Mere moments passed while they readied themselves, resulting in an early departure as Catra stomped her way down the staircase from the apartment. She hadn’t said a word since her poisonous statement ended their conversation, but as Adora rushed after her the estid knew they’d have to move on to another topic soon.

“Are you sure we don’t want to parkour there? It’s not a far walk but I’ve got the hang of swinging now! It would be like a minute or two!” Conditions were dry for once, and with the morning chill slowly shaking off as the sun thawed the air it would’ve been a perfect time to fly as they had been.

“Adora.. Have you ever ironed out a suit? Do you even.. Own an ironing board?” tightly tied sneakers hit the pavement hard, squeaking to a halt as the insult wrapped in a question was acknowledged and the amused feline cast an inquisitive glance over her shoulder before she continued to walk.

“Uh.. gonna go with no,” Adora was quieter than usual,  _ I don’t remember ever having to do any sort of upkeep with mine.. Mara took it from me the last time I wore it.. I didn’t.. Feel any different in it afterwards. _

“Well it wouldn’t survive a trip in the backpack then, no matter how neatly I fold it,” the curt explanation snapped the taller girl from her inner monologue, meeting a curious expression from Catra who raised her eyebrow further to convey that the distracted nature of her companion was not lost on her.

The shop’s associate recognized Adora, and was quick to pull up whatever deals would be available well aware of the small budget the blonde was operating on. What the black-haired woman could not anticipate, however, was that the estid that was with her would gently place a couple hundred dollars on the counter and utter two words while locking eyes.

“Maroon, please.”

An hour flew by while Catra tried on all manner of suits and color combinations, enjoying the increasingly suggestive expressions each one would cause Adora to respond with when she showed them off.

Over time they had narrowed it to three options, and the feline was more fond of the second choice which was a suede maroon two piece that fit her almost perfectly. Between a white, dark gray or black shirt the estid found comfort in the middle option, close to the same shade of the bulk of her other suit.

She was sensational, spectacular, amazing even. Adora could not, and would not, take her eyes off the sleek crimson clothed cat. The blonde was so starstruck she barely registered the smooth question as it left smirking lips.

"You could take a picture, it'll last longer," the suggestion began to process at about the same time dark brown fur brushed against the taller woman’s cheek, recognized to be from Catra’s tail as it returned to its original position against her legs.

Fumbling hands nearly threw her phone while retrieving it from the front pocket. The camera app was opened before she could finish standing and the chair she had just been sitting in practically found use once more as she attempted to back up.

"Yeah, of course," an afterthought uttered under Adora's breath as she lined up the shot, taking several stills before she could process the impact of the situation at hand.

On the third shot, with Catra flashing a smile that the blonde swore stopped her heart a message notification covered the screen, swiped away as soon as she read that the sender was 'Vera',  _ sorry babe, I'm working.  _ It was a line she'd heard so many times during their conversations and it felt good to dismiss the brunette as she herself had been so frequently dismissed.

Blue eyes were quick to review the photos, trying to vet out any that the feline may not find appealing or worth keeping. As each one was scanned over it began to set in that the woman Adora was looking at was crucially different than the girl she remembered,  _ she’s not flipping off the camera, making any crude gestures.. And.. she’s smiling.. Like.. really smiling. Wow.. _

Tan thumbs rested on the screen, uncertain as to the path they’d already taken and whether pushing further would’ve been anything but detrimental. With a sigh she closed her emerald eyes and placed the phone on the counter, leaving it while the steam from the adjacent shower blanketed over the room.

_ Vera (09:14am) _

_ A story landed in my lap on a man by the name of Martin Lee, he’s the bigwig of some company but the publication is covering a trip to NYC and back.. If you wanted maybe we could hang out during my stay? Should only be a few days. _


End file.
